Capstones

Thursday, May 8th

All presentations will take place in the Rieke Science Center, room 113.

10:15-10:30am, “Mapping Landslide Susceptibility: Integrating Lidar Analysis to Assess Risk around Southern Kitsap County”
Austen Bassler
In the Puget Sound, coastal bluffs composed of glacial sediments are especially vulnerable to shallow landslides, particularly during prolonged rainfall or snowmelt. These landslides pose a significant risk to infrastructure, ecosystems, and public safety. However, comprehensive mapping in some areas remains limited, making hazard assessment and risk mitigation challenging. I analyzed landslide susceptibility throughout Kitsap County, using Lidar-derived topographic data and GIS-based spatial analysis. I obtained high-resolution digital elevation models from the Tacoma Maps Lidar Portal. Using GIS software, I classified failed and unfailed terrain and created a landslide susceptibility map, identifying varying levels of landslide risk. My findings demonstrate that Lidar technology, combined with GIS analysis, provides a data-driven approach to assessing landslide-prone areas. The clear correlation between steep slopes and mapped landslide occurrences supports previous research on terrain instability (Booth, 2009) in the Pacific Northwest and confirms that this method can effectively identify high-risk zones for hazard mitigation and planning. This method allows for precise identification of high-risk zones, which can improve hazard preparedness and inform land-use planning. Here, I highlight the role of coastal erosion in slope destabilization, reinforcing the importance of ongoing monitoring. Additionally, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of landslide dynamics in Puget Sound’s coastal environments, enhancing risk assessment efforts, supporting infrastructure protection and environmental conservation, and helping to develop more effective landslide mitigation strategies.

10:30-10:45am, “Testing the Effectiveness of a Virtual Geological Field Trip”
Annie Latimer
Manchester State Park is a field site that is often used by the PLU Earth Science’s Department so that students can conduct studies and research of the Puget Sound region. This location is used because of its rich geological history, field analysis opportunities, stratigraphic study, and previous capstone projects. This location is used in the Earth Science 201 class where students have the opportunity to go into the field. A virtual field trip was constructed for students who were not able to make it into the field. These kinds of virtual experiences are needed to make learning more accessible and equitable. It gives all students equal opportunities to explore the field site, make observations, and form interpretations. This study aims to figure out if a virtual field trip allows the students to have the same experience and knowledge as the in person field trip students. Based on the interactiveness of the virtual field trip, it is expected that the students will all have equal learning opportunities and have the same understanding of the field site.

10:45-11am, “Structural Geology of Manchester State Park”
Travis Weaver
Tectonic processes due to active subduction from the Cascadia Subduction Zone, (CSZ), and northern plate migration have shaped the Puget Lowland of Western Washington. The Seattle Fault Zone (SFZ) is a 70-mile-long, east-west trending reverse fault, extending from east of Seattle, across Puget Sound, and terminating in the town of Bremerton. Manchester State park lies on the southern edge of the SFZ and features a series of faults cutting through the Oligocene Blakeley Formation (BF). However, there is no known literature relating these local faults to the SFZ or other potential tectonic forces in the region. Using first motion tensor models for earthquake analysis, GPS surface movement data, and collected fault orientations. here I show the relationship between the faults at MSP to the SFZ and broader Cascadia subduction Zone. Understanding how forces are shaping the Puget Lowland is a vital tool for earthquake hazard assessment in this greatly populated region and builds upon the tectonic history of the area.