Central Oregon Geoscience Society upcoming events

Axial Seamount: The Hidden Active Volcano in the Pacific Northwest (26 May 2026)

Wed, 27 May 2026 00:30:00 GMT

Hatfield Marine Science Center, Oregon State University

Click HERE to register for Zoom

Axial Seamount is an active submarine volcano located ~300 miles offshore Oregon and about a mile below the ocean surface. It has erupted 3 times in the last 30 years, making it the most active volcano in the Pacific Northwest (even though you can't see it!). It is monitored in real-time by seafloor instruments connected to a cabled observatory. Data from that monitoring network suggest that the volcano is building toward its next eruption. This talk will describe the most recent monitoring data and its implications for forecasting the next eruption.

Please join us at:

Worthy Brewing (eastside location)

495 NE Bellevue Drive, Bend

In the Hop Mahal Room

5:30 pm social hour

7:00 pm presentation

COGS talk are free and open to the public -- all are welcome! Please join us for the social hour before the presentation.

All presentations are also live-streamed through Zoom. There will be a registration link at the top of this page as we get closer to the date of this presentation.

Wildcat Mountain Caldera Field Trip (28 May 2026)

Thu, 28 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Wildcat Mountain Caldera Field Trip

Thursday, May 28

8:00 am- 5:00 pm

Led by Carrie Gordon (USFS Geologist - retired)

Twin Pillar (left), Stein's Pillar (center) and view from Stein's Pillar to Twin Pillars (right) in Ochoco National Forest (Photos by Carrie Gordon)

Join us on an exploration around the edges of Mill Creek Wilderness in the Ochoco Mountains and see what’s hiding! In 2005, Jason McClaughry and Mark Ferns, with the Oregon Department of Geology and Minerals Industry, discovered the 40 Million year old Wildcat Mountain Caldera. Carrie Gordon will lead a field trip to look at the features of this volcano. It stretches from Twin Pillars to Steins Pillar. The field trip will begin in Prineville, travel northeast up Little McKay Creek across to the top of Mill Creek, down the drainage to Wildcat Campground. After lunch, we will explore a portion of the Steins Pillar trail with a final stop at Brennan Palisades. In a total of six stops, we will look at the pre-caldera rocks, caldera margins and the caldera tuff deposits as well as how the caldera affects current topography and ongoing geologic processes.

Pre-field trip information: “Field Trip Guide to the middle Eocene Wildcat Mountain Caldera, Ochoco National Forest, Crook County, Oregon”.

https://pubs.oregon.gov/dogami/og/OGv69n01-WildcatMountain.pdf (Pg. 5-24)

This trip will visit a subset of the described stops and will do so in modified order.

Total hiking distance will be about 1 mile on trails with a modest elevation gain/loss. This trip will be suitable for all geologic backgrounds and is limited to 20 participants. The trip will start in Prineville but there will be a meet up location in Bend to informally arrange ride sharing for the trip. While ride sharing is voluntary per COGS policy, it is encouraged because of limited parking at some of the field stops.

Please contact Derek Loeb (DerekLoeb@gmail.com ) with questions.

Carrie Gordon is the retired U. S. Forest Service Geologist for the Ochoco National Forest and Crooked River National Grassland. She is also an Oregon Master Naturalist, Certified Interpretive Guide (NAI) and a Registered Oregon Geologist. Carrie has a B.A. in Geology from Central Washington State College (now CWU) and has lived in Prineville since 1992.

COGS Picnic Social - 2026 (13 Jun 2026)

Sat, 13 Jun 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Derek Loeb

COGS Picnic Social Event

Petersen Rock Garden

Saturday June 13, 11 AM - 2:30 PM

COGS is pleased to invite all members as well as friends & family to a picnic social at Petersen Rock Garden. There is no registration and no fee but a donation to the garden is encouraged.

Many who have lived in Central Oregon for more than a few years may be familiar with it but for those who are not, below is a web link with more background history & the Google Maps location.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petersen_Rock_Garden

https://maps.app.goo.gl/W1Tf6JjTPAaM7eFZ9

The new owners have been working on rejuvenating the property and have recently completed a major renovation. There will be optional talks on their efforts and impromptu tours of the grounds.

Attendees should bring a lunch and beverage of choice and a chair. There are some picnic tables. COGS will provide a limited number of snacks and flavored waters.

Questions may be addressed to Derek Loeb ( DerekLoeb@gmail.com )