Maps of the Pacific Northwest hide a startling secret that changes how the region is understood. Oregon and Idaho appear as simple neighbors, but a deep geological anomaly separates them.
The Pacific Northwest carries a reputation for being quiet, damp, and unremarkable. Rain jackets, coffee, and gray skies are the standard image. Geologically, however, the region is one of the most extreme landscapes in North America. It has been buried under volcanic basalt, carved by floods larger than any in recorded history, and it sits over a fault line capable of producing a major earthquake…