Interview: Vic Baker

As a PhD student in the 1960’s, Vic received encouragement and support from pioneer floods geologist J Harlen Bretz – and began building on the basic flood story that Bretz first established back in the 1920’s. Baker’s research – with an emphasis on the physics, mechanics, and hydraulics of the floodwater – has greatly improved our understanding of the timing, scale, and effects of the Ice Age flooding of eastern Washington. Late in life, Bretz was keenly interested in Baker’s results, and was delighted to see evidence of huge floods on Mars – first documented by Mariner 9 in the 1970’s.

Later in the interview, Vic discusses the impact of the Ice Age Floods Institute – a nonprofit, grassroots organization devoted to bringing the floods story to residents of the Pacific Northwest. The Institute’s evening lectures and field trips are popular, and Vic comments on why this topic resonates with so many local folks. Outreach to nonscientists is important to Vic - he has appeared on many television documentaries, including being the featured geologist in the NOVA program “Mystery of the Megaflood”.

Late in the interview, Dr. Baker demonstrates how field geologists apply multiple working hypotheses to field questions like, “Did this big flood erratic get carried by an iceberg on the floods – or by the flood water itself?” Finally, he offers suggestions for future work in the Channeled Scablands – and beyond.