
First Thursday Speaker Series
Seattle’s Medieval Tsunami
6:00 – 6:30 p.m.
Thursday, August 4
Milepost 31, 211 First Ave. S., Seattle
Admission is free.
A quarter century ago, excavations for the West Point Sewage Treatment Plant in Seattle’s Discovery Park exposed a startling find: evidence that Seattle had been hit by a tsunami sometime between the years 900 and 930 C.E. U.S. Geological Survey scientist Brian Atwater made the discovery while examining trench walls excavated as part of the construction project. Come to Milepost 31 to hear Brian recount this chance geological discovery and relate it to our region’s earthquake hazards.
Brian Atwater has been a U.S. Geological Survey scientist since 1974 and an affiliate faculty member at University of Washington since 1985. He has studied geologic history to clarify earthquake and tsunami hazards in California, Washington, Chile, Japan, Southeast Asia, and the Caribbean. He surveyed trench walls at West Point during construction of the plant’s main effluent pipe in 1991 and 1992.
After the talk, be sure to leave enough time to explore the rest of the First Thursday Art Walk in Pioneer Square. Milepost 31 is open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and stays open until 8 p.m. on First Thursdays. Free parking is available for First Thursday art walk patrons in Pioneer Square. Please visit www.FirstThursdaySeattle.com for more information about participating garages.
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