Hop into your time machine! We’re taking a deep dive into the past to explore 17 million years of the Hanford Site's geology in our next Let’s Talk About Hanford conversation, themed Hanford Geology – Floods, Lava, and More.

Join us for the live discussion 5:30 p.m. Feb. 24, on Zoom or Facebook. 

For our next conversation, we're bringing in expert geologist and hydrogeologist Bruce Bjornstad, who will share information about the Ice Age flooding, basalt lava flows, and other important geological events that shaped the Hanford Site we know today. 

We'll begin the event with Bruce’s geology presentation and then move into a live Q&A and answer your questions!

Bruce is a licensed geologist and hydrogeologist, and a retired senior research scientist from Battelle’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in geology from the University of New Hampshire and a Master’s degree in geology from Eastern Washington University.

During his 35-year career, Bruce published numerous reports and documents on the geology of Eastern Washington and the Hanford Site, in addition to numerous books on the local Ice Age megafloods.

Bruce will be joined by hosts Ginger Wireman, Daina McFadden, and Ryan Miller, our agency’s Nuclear Waste Program communications team. 

Join the conversation

We’re excited to announce a shift to Zoom beginning with this discussion. This event will stream on both Zoom and Facebook Live.

Join via Facebook by watching live at the time of the event on our Hanford Facebook page, or the Facebook event page. 

For the Zoom stream:

Join by phone (audio only):

Can't attend the conversation on Feb. 24? The event recording will be available on our Facebook page and YouTube channel shortly after the stream ends. 

You can also submit your questions to us about Hanford’s geology in advance of the live event. We'll make every effort to answer your submitted questions live during the Q&A session.

What it's all about

We first announced these virtual events last spring, with the aim to help you better understand all things related to Hanford and its complex nuclear cleanup.

Beginning in World War II, Hanford produced plutonium for decades before shifting to a new mission in 1989 — cleaning up the massive amounts of waste and contamination that production left behind. 

These conversations blend high-level easy-to-understand presentations and conversations with you about Hanford topics, ranging from specific cleanup projects and history of the site to the Hanford Reach habitat and wildlife that call it home.

We're gearing these virtual discussions toward those unfamiliar with Hanford, those who want a refresher, or to expand existing knowledge about Hanford. We'll start each event with a short, high-level presentation on that day's topic, followed by a live Q&A with those watching.

Have any questions or ideas for future conversations? Drop us a line, and we hope to see you virtually during our seventh livestream!

Missed the introduction video or first six conversations? Check them out on YouTube.