Corfu Slide facts for kids
The Corfu Slide is a huge area of landslides found in eastern Washington. It's on the northern side of the Saddle Mountains, close to Crab Creek and the Columbia River. Imagine a giant piece of land that has slowly slid down a hill! This area isn't just one big slide, but actually 24 separate slides all grouped together. They cover a huge space, about 18 to 20 square kilometers (which is like 7 to 8 square miles). All this moved earth adds up to about 1 cubic kilometer of material – that's a lot of dirt and rocks!
How the Corfu Slide Formed
Scientists who study rocks and landforms, called geologists, believe the Corfu Slide happened a very long time ago, between 13,000 and 15,000 years ago. It formed because of something called "undercutting." This means that powerful water currents washed away the bottom of the land, making the ground above it unstable and causing it to slide.
This undercutting happened during the amazing Missoula Floods. These were enormous floods that occurred as the last ice age was ending. During the ice age, huge glaciers covered much of the Earth. When these glaciers started to melt, they released massive amounts of water.
The water from the Missoula Floods flowed through an area called the Channeled Scablands. As the water got close to the Corfu Slide area, it split into two main streams. One stream went east, flowing over the lower part of the Saddle Mountains. The other stream went west, pushing through a narrow spot in the mountains called Sentinel Gap.
The western stream of water hit the base of the Corfu Slide area with incredible force. This powerful water eroded, or wore away, the land at the bottom of the slope. This erosion caused the ground above to become unstable and eventually slide down. Some parts of the slide even happened before the very last of the Miss Missoula Floods, because older parts of the landslide have been smoothed out by the flowing water.
Where to See the Corfu Slide
The best way to see the Corfu Slide is from the very top, on the crest of the Saddle Mountains. From there, you can get a great view of the entire area. You can also see parts of the slide from other spots, including a road that goes along the lower sections of the slide.
