Understanding the Oregon Coast Under Our Feet: Lincoln City Talk Given by Prominent Geologist

Published 10/11/25 at 6:25 p.m.
By Oregon Coast Beach Connection Staff

(Lincoln City, Oregon) - A public presentation next week will offer a deep dive into the dynamic geological history of the Oregon Coast, with a special focus on Siletz Bay and the surrounding Lincoln City area. Titled “Understanding the Earth Under Our Feet,” the event is sponsored by the Cascade Head Biosphere Collaborative and will feature renowned Earth scientist Scott Burns, Professor Emeritus of Geology at Portland State University.

Scheduled for Friday, October 17, 2025, the presentation will take place from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m. at Pelican Brewing, overlooking Siletz Bay. (map)

Professor Burns will guide attendees through the forces that have shaped the coastline over millions of years, highlighting the landforms and geological features that define the region today. It will have a special emphasis on the Lincoln City area - which includes Cascade Head, once a volcano.

Community members are encouraged to attend and bring their questions and curiosity. The event promises an engaging evening of science and storytelling in a scenic coastal setting.

Burns On Our Beaches

Some of what Burns has dug into in his career has provided some interesting answers about the area. He talked to Oregon Coast Beach Connection several years ago about Depoe Bay.

There were once – until the '70s, anyway - theories that Cape Foulweather was once a volcano. That got debunked. Now, it's clear Cape Foulweather near Depoe Bay was a product of the Columbia Basalts: a series of lava flows that scorched across proto-Oregon some 14 million years ago.

Indeed, Burns is one of the few people who have tested the rocks here for their age.

Yet why do rocks in the Depoe Bay area look smoother than other, similar spots?

Oregon Coast Beach Connection: Cascade Head was a volcano

According to Dr. Burns, the area around Depoe Bay was, for whatever reason, above ground. So here, when the lava flows arrived they would hit the sea and cool into those rounder shapes. It's called pillow basalt, and it's the same thing you see footage of in Hawaii when lava plunges into water there.

These bubbly pillow basalts run from Fishing Rock State Recreation Area down to Rocky Creek State Scenic Viewpoint, roughly four miles on either side of Depoe Bay. You'll notice a big difference at the beginning of Otter Loop Road, at Rodea Point.

Ever wondered how deep those rocks go around Depoe Bay? According to Burns these layers can be hundreds of meters thick. Science Behind the Puffy, Bubbly Pillow Basalts of the Oregon Coast

Burns also had plenty of answers about a unique feature found briefly at Pacific City's Cape Kiwanda a few years back.

Pilar French photo

Portlander Pilar French had discovered an odd set of lines near the top of the dune. Oregon Coast Beach Connection shared this with the geologist. New, Rare Sand Feature Atop Cape Kiwanda Floors Oregon Coast Geologists - Video

Burns essentially flipped out: he'd never seen this kind of set of designs before. After consulting other geologists at the university, it turned out this was new for the region. This was a rare thing, to see these kinds of ridges so close to each other – not to mention it's really odd that patterns like this are formed on a dune, period.

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