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For the university in this region, see University of Puget Sound. The University of Puget Sound (often called UPS or just Puget Sound) is a private liberal arts college located in the North End of
Puget Sound
Puget Sound

Puget Sound (pronounced /ˈpjuːʤᵻt/) is an arm of the Pacific Ocean, connected to the rest of the Pacific by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, in the Pacific Northwest of the United States. The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth 's Oceanic divisions The Strait of Juan de Fuca (also called Juan de Fuca Strait) is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Georgia Strait and Puget The Pacific Northwest is a region in the northwest of North America (the term refers to the land not the ocean The United States of America —commonly referred to as the It branches out from Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass in the north to Olympia, Washington in the south. Admiralty Inlet is a Strait in the US state of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Puget Sound Deception Pass is a Strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island, in the northwest part of the U Olympia is the Capital of Washington and is the County seat of Thurston County. [1] The surrounding land partially overlaps the Seattle metropolitan area, home to about 4 million people. The Seattle metropolitan area in the US state of Washington includes the city of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and

Contents

Name and definition

There are various definitions of the extent and boundaries of Puget Sound.

In 1792 George Vancouver gave the name "Puget's Sound" to the waters south of the Tacoma Narrows, in honor of Peter Puget, then a lieutenant accompanying him on the Vancouver Expedition. Captain George Vancouver Narrowsjpg|thumb|277px|right|The Tacoma Narrows as viewed from Tacoma facing northwest towards the Kitsap Peninsula Peter Puget (1765- October 31 1822 was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his exploration of Puget Sound. The Vancouver Expedition (1791-1795 was a five-year voyage of exploration and diplomacy commanded by Captain George Vancouver. The name later came to be used for the waters north of Tacoma Narrows as well. [2]

The USGS defines Puget Sound as all the waters south of three entrances — the main entrance at Admiralty Inlet being a line between Point Wilson, on the Olympic Peninsula, and Point Partridge, on Whidbey Island; a second entrance at Deception Pass being a line from West Point, on Whidbey Island, to Deception Island and Rosario Head, on Fidalgo Island; and a third entrance at the south end of the Swinomish Channel, which connects Skagit Bay and Padilla Bay. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Admiralty Inlet is a Strait in the US state of Washington connecting the eastern end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Puget Sound Point Wilson is at the end of the Quimper Peninsula, a northeast extension of the Olympic Peninsula and the northeastern most point of Jefferson County, Geography The Olympic Peninsula is home to some of the only Temperate rain forests in the world including the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault Point Partridge is the most westerly point of Whidbey Island, the largest Island in Puget Sound. Whidbey Island (historical spelling Whidby) is one of nine Islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States Deception Pass is a Strait separating Whidbey Island from Fidalgo Island, in the northwest part of the U Fidalgo Island is an Island in Skagit County, Washington, located about north of Seattle. Skagit Bay is a Bay and Strait located in the US state of Washington. Padilla Bay is bay located in the US state of Washington, between the San Juan Islands and the mainland [3] Under this definition, Puget Sound includes the waters of Hood Canal, Admiralty Inlet, Possession Sound, Saratoga Passage, and others. Hood Canal is a Fjord off Puget Sound in the US state of Washington. Possession Sound is part of Puget Sound, located in the US state of Washington between Whidbey Island and the coastline of Snohomish County Saratoga Passage lies in Puget Sound between Whidbey Island and Camano Island. It does not include Bellingham Bay, Padilla Bay, the waters of the San Juan Islands or anything farther north. Bellingham Bay is a Bay located on the northern Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. Padilla Bay is bay located in the US state of Washington, between the San Juan Islands and the mainland The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States.

Another definition, given by NOAA, subdivides Puget Sound into five basins or regions. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration ( NOAA) is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the Four of these correspond to areas within the USGS definition, but the fifth one, called "Northern Puget Sound" includes a large additional region. It is defined as bounded to the north by the international boundary with Canada, and to the west by a line running north from the mouth of the Sekiu River on the Olympic Peninsula. The Sekiu River is a long river in the US state of Washington. [4] Under this definition significant parts of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and the Strait of Georgia are included in Puget Sound, with the international boundary marking an abrupt and hydrologically arbitrary limit. The Strait of Juan de Fuca (also called Juan de Fuca Strait) is a large body of water about long forming the principal outlet for the Georgia Strait and Puget The Strait of Georgia or the Georgia Strait (also known as the Gulf of Georgia) is a Strait between Vancouver Island (as well as its nearby

According to Arthur Kruckeberg, the term "Puget Sound" is sometimes used for waters north of Admiralty Inlet and Deception Pass, especially for areas along the north coast of Washington and the San Juan Islands, essentially equivalent to NOAA's "Northern Puget Sound" subdivision described above. Kruckeberg uses the term "Puget Sound and adjacent waters". [5]

An alternative term for Puget Sound, still used by only some Native Americans and environmental groups, is Whulge (or Whulj), an Anglicization of the Lushootseed name 'WulcH, which means "Salt Water". Lushootseed (also xʷəlšucid, dxʷləšúcid, Puget Salish, Puget Sound Salish, Skagit-Nisqually) is the language or Dialect [6]. Another neologism also popularized by environmental and aboriginal groups is Salish Sea, but this does not have wide acceptance nor a single standard meaning from one group to the next. The Salish Sea is claimed to be the traditional name used by first nations peoples for the inland Waterway stretching from Tumwater, Washington to before Sometimes the terms "Puget Sound" and "Puget Sound and adjacent waters" are used for not only Puget Sound proper but also for waters to the north, such as Bellingham Bay and the San Juan Islands region. Bellingham Bay is a Bay located on the northern Pacific coast of Washington state in the United States. The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States. [5]

History

Evening on Puget Sound by Edward S. Curtis, 1913
Evening on Puget Sound by Edward S. Curtis, 1913

George Vancouver explored Puget Sound in 1792. Captain George Vancouver Vancouver claimed it for Great Britain on 4 June 1792, naming it for one of his officers, Lieutenant Peter Puget. The Kingdom of Great Britain, also known as the United Kingdom of Great Britain, was a State in northwest Europe, in existence from 1707 to 1800 Events 781 BC - The first historic Solar eclipse is recorded in China. Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Peter Puget (1765- October 31 1822 was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his exploration of Puget Sound. It became part of the Oregon Country, and became U. Oregon Country or Oregon (to be distinguished from the American State also called Oregon) was a predominantly American term referring to S. territory when the 1846 Oregon Treaty was signed. The Oregon Treaty, officially known as the Treaty with Great Britain in Regard to Limits Westward of the Rocky Mountains, Buchanan-Packenham

After arriving along the Oregon Trail, many settlers wandered north to what is now Washington State and settled the Puget Sound area. Pioneers traveled across the Oregon Trail, one of the main overland migration routes on the North American Continent, in wagons in order to settle new parts of the The first non-Aboriginal settlement was New Market (now known as Tumwater) in 1846. Tumwater is a city in Thurston County, Washington, United States. In 1853 Washington Territory was formed from part of Oregon Territory. The Washington Territory was a historic Organized territory of the United States that was formed in February 8, 1853 from the portion of the The Oregon Territory is the name applied both to the unorganized Oregon Country claimed by both the United States and Britain (but normally referred to In 1888 the Northern Pacific railroad line reached Puget Sound, linking the region to eastern states. The Northern Pacific Railway was a railway that operated in the north-central region of the United States.

For a long period Tacoma was noted for its large smelters where gold, silver, copper and lead ores were treated. Seattle was the primary port for trade with Alaska and the rest of the country and for a time possessed a large shipbuilding industry. Alaska ( Аляска Alyaska) is a state in the United States of America, in the northwest of the North American continent The region around eastern Puget Sound developed heavy industry during the period including World War I and World War II, and the Boeing Company became an established icon in the area. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E

During World War II the Puget Sound area became a focus for the war industry, with Boeing producing many of the nation's heavy bombers and the ports of Seattle, Bremerton and Tacoma available for shipbuilding. A heavy bomber is a Bomber aircraft of the largest size and typically longest ranges Bremerton is a city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States.

Since 1995, Puget Sound has been recognized as an American Viticultural Area by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. An American Viticultural Area is a designated Wine Grape -growing region in the United States distinguishable by geographic features with boundaries The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, shortened to Tax and Trade Bureau or TTB, is a bureau of the United States Department of the Treasury. [7]

Geology

Low Tide Whidbey Island
Low Tide Whidbey Island

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) defines Puget Sound as a bay with numerous channels and branches; more specifically, it is a fjord system of flooded glacial valleys. The United States Geological Survey ( USGS) is a scientific agency of the United States government. Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment A fjord or fiord (fjɔːd|fiːɔːd or fiːɔːd is a long narrow Inlet with steep sides created in a valley carved by glacial activity. Puget Sound is part of a larger physiographical structure termed the Puget Trough, which is a physiographic section of the larger Pacific Border province, which in turn is part of the larger Pacific Mountain System. The Pacific Border province is a physiographic province of the larger Pacific Mountain System. Physiographic regions of the US Interior (See legend) For [8]

Puget Sound is a very large salt water estuary, or system of many estuaries, fed by highly seasonal freshwater from the Olympic and Cascade Mountain watersheds. An estuary is a semi-enclosed Coastal body of Water with one or more Rivers or Streams flowing into it and with a free connection to the open [9] The northern boundary is Admiralty Inlet, between Point Partridge on Whidbey Island and Point Wilson on the Olympic Peninsula. Whidbey Island (historical spelling Whidby) is one of nine Islands located in Island County, Washington, in the United States Geography The Olympic Peninsula is home to some of the only Temperate rain forests in the world including the Hoh, Queets, and Quinault A second entrance is Deception Pass, between West Point on Whidbey Island and Rosario Head on Fidalgo Island. Fidalgo Island is an Island in Skagit County, Washington, located about north of Seattle. [10]

The Sound has been reshaped by the scouring action and till deposition of the Wisconsin Glaciation, which extended in this region as far south as Olympia; the soils of the region, less than ten thousand years old, are still characterized as immature. "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period During glacial maximum a large meltwater lake formed at the icewall's forefront, drained by the Chehalis River; its sediments form the blue-gray clay identified as the Lawton Clay. As icebergs calved off the toe of the glacier, their embedded gravels and boulders were deposited in the chaotic mix of unsorted till geologists call glaciomarine drift. Till is unsorted glacial sediment Glacial drift is a general term for the coarsely graded and extremely heterogeneous Sediments of glacial origin Many beaches about the Sound display glacial erratics, rendered more prominent than those in coastal woodland solely by their exposed position; submerged glacial erratics sometimes provide hazards to navigation. A glacial erratic is a piece of rock that deviates from the size and type of rock native to the area in which it rests the name " erratic " is based on the The sheer weight of glacial-age ice depressed the landforms, which experienced isostatic rebound after the ice sheets had retreated; because the rate of rebound was not synchronous with the post-ice age rise in sea levels, the bed of what is Puget Sound, filled alternately with fresh and with sea water. Post-glacial rebound (sometimes called continental rebound, isostatic rebound, isostatic adjustment or post-ice-age isostatic recovery) The upper level of the lake-sediment Lawton Clay now lies about 120 feet (37 m) above sea level.

Snowcapped peaks are a backdrop to many Puget Sound scenes; here Mount Rainier is seen from Gig Harbor.
Snowcapped peaks are a backdrop to many Puget Sound scenes; here Mount Rainier is seen from Gig Harbor. Mount Rainier is an active Stratovolcano (also known as a composite volcano in Pierce County Washington, located southeast of Seattle, Washington Gig Harbor is a city in Pierce County, Washington, United States.

The Puget Sound system consists of four deep basins connected by shallower sills. The four basins are Hood Canal, west of the Kitsap Peninsula, Whidbey Basin, east of Whidbey Island, South Sound, south of the Tacoma Narrows, and the Main Basin, which is further subdivided into Admiralty Inlet and the Central Basin. [11] Puget Sound's sills, a kind of submarine terminal moraine, separate the basins from one another, and Puget Sound from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A terminal moraine, also called end moraine, is a Moraine that forms at the end of the Glacier called the snout Three sills are paricularly significant — the one at Admiralty Inlet which checks the flow of water between the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget sound, the one at the entrance to Hood Canal (about 175 ft/53 m below the surface), and the one at the Tacoma Narrows (about 145 ft/44 m). Other sills that present less of a barrier include the ones at Blake Island, Agate Pass, Rich Passage, and Hammersley Inlet. Blake Island is an island in Washington state in the United States. Agate Pass or Agate Passage is a high-current tidal Strait in Puget Sound connecting Port Madison and Port Orchard. ManchesterWashingtonWaterfrontJPG|right|thumb|300px| The east end of Rich Passage from a Manchester beach]] Rich Passage is a tidal Strait in Puget Sound Hammersley Inlet, in southwestern Puget Sound in the US state of Washington, is an arm of water leading to Shelton Washington and Oakland [5]

The depth of the basins is a result of the Sound being part of the Cascadia subduction zone, where the terranes accreted at the edge of the Juan de Fuca Plate are being subducted under the North American Plate: there has not been a major subduction zone earthquake here since the magnitude nine Cascadia Earthquake; according to Japanese records, it occurred 26 January 1700. The Cascadia Subduction zone is a Subduction zone, a type of convergent plate boundary that stretches from northern Vancouver Island to A terrane in Geology is a fragment of crustal material formed on or broken off from one Tectonic plate and accreted — " sutured " The Juan de Fuca Plate, named after the explorer, is a Tectonic plate arising from the Juan de Fuca Ridge, and subducting under the northerly In Geology, a subduction zone is an area on Earth where two tectonic plates meet and move towards one another with one sliding underneath the other The North American Plate is a Tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland and part of Siberia. A megathrust earthquake occurs at Subduction zones (destructive plate boundaries where one Tectonic plate is forced under (subducts another TalkMoment magnitude scale#Real world examples please.--> The moment magnitude scale For a topic outline on this subject see List of basic Japan topics. Events 1340 - King Edward III of England is declared King of France. Lesser Puget Sound earthquakes with shallow epicenters, caused by the fracturing of stressed oceanic rocks as they are subducted still cause great damage. An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth 's crust that creates Seismic waves Earthquakes are recorded with a Seismometer The epicenter or epicentre is the point on the Earth 's surface that is directly above the Hypocenter or focus the point where an Earthquake The Seattle Fault cuts across Puget Sound, crossing just north of Vashon Island and dipping under the city of Seattle [12]. The Seattle Fault is a Geologic fault in the North American Plate that runs from the Issaquah Alps to Hood Canal in Washington Vashon is a Census-designated place (CDP in King County, Washington, United States. To the south, the existence of a second fault, the Tacoma Fault has buckled the intervening strata in the Seattle Uplift.

Typical Puget Sound profiles of dense glacial till overlying permeable glacial outwash of gravels above an impermeable bed of silty clay may become unstable after periods of unusually wet weather and slump in landslides. [13]

Geography

The urban region designated the Puget Sound Region is centered on Seattle, Washington, and consists of nine counties, two urban center cities and four satellite cities making up what has been dubbed "Pugetopolis". A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status [14] Both urban core cities have large industrial areas and seaports plus a high-rise central business district. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo A central business district ( CBD) is the commercial and often geographic heart of a city The satellite cities are primarily suburban, featuring a small downtown core and a small industrial area or port. South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. ||-||-|-||-||-||-||-||-||-|} A port is a facility for receiving Ships and transferring cargo The suburbs consist mostly of residences, strip malls, and shopping centers. A strip mall (also called a shopping plaza or mini-mall) is an open area Shopping center where the stores are arranged in a row with a Sidewalk The region is also home to numerous ports. The two largest and busiest are the Port of Seattle and Port of Tacoma, which, if combined, comprise the second largest container port in North America after Los Angeles/Long Beach. The Port of Seattle is a Port district that runs Seattle 's seaport and Airport. A major maritime cargo gateway to Asia and Alaska the Port of Tacoma is a leading North American seaport handling more than $36

A unique state-run ferry system, the Washington State Ferries, connects the larger islands to the Washington mainland, as well as both sides of the sound, allowing cars and people to move about the greater Puget Sound region. This page is about the ferry system operated by the state of Washington

Puget Sound taken from the Space Needle.
Puget Sound taken from the Space Needle.

Wildlife

Geoduck: It is estimated that more than 100 million geoducks are packed into Puget Sound's sediments. The geoduck (ˈguːiːdʌk gooey duck Panopea abrupta, is a species of large saltwater Clam, a marine Bivalve Mollusk Also known as "king clam," geoducks are considered to be a delicacy in Asian countries.

Counties of the Puget Sound region

In addition, the San Juan Islands (all of San Juan County plus a few islands belonging to Whatcom County) are often considered part of the greater Puget Sound area. This article is about the specific place for the similarly named article with different information see County island Island County is a County located in the Jefferson County is a County located in the US state of Washington and named after Thomas Jefferson. King County is located in the US state of Washington. The population in the 2000 census was 1737034 and in 2006 was an estimated 1835300 Kitsap County is a County located in the US state of Washington, named after Chief Kitsap of the Suquamish tribe Lewis County is a County located in the US state of Washington. Mason County is a County located in the US state of Washington. Pierce County is the second most populous county in the US state of Washington. Skagit County (ˈskædʒɨt is a County located in the US state of Washington. Snohomish (snow-HOE'-mish County is a County located in the U Thurston County is a County located in the US state of Washington. The San Juan Islands are a part of the San Juan Archipelago in the northwest corner of the continental United States. San Juan County is a County located in the US state of Washington, composed of most of the San Juan Islands.

Prominent islands

Urban centers

Satellite cities

Other principal cities

Trivia

See also

References

  1. ^ Pacific Science Center (2000-05-24). The Puget Sound AVA is an American Viticultural Area in western Washington state. This is a set of lists of English personal and place names whose pronunciations are counter-intuitive to their spelling, either because the pronunciation does not correspond to the spelling The Seattle metropolitan area in the US state of Washington includes the city of Seattle, King County, Snohomish County, and Peter Puget (1765- October 31 1822 was an officer in the Royal Navy, best known for his exploration of Puget Sound. The Pacific Science Center is a Science museum in Seattle Washington. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Geology of Puget Sound. PSC website. Retrieved on 2007-05-28. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 585 BC - A Solar eclipse occurs as predicted by Greek philosopher and scientist Thales, while Alyattes is battling
  2. ^ Kruckeberg, Arthur R. (1991). The Natural History of Puget Sound Country. Seattle: University of Washington Press, pp. 427-428. ISBN 0-295-97477-X.  
  3. ^ USGS GNIS: Puget Sound
  4. ^ Environmental History and Features of Puget Sound, see also: Map of subareas of Puget Sound, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and National Marine Fisheries Service
  5. ^ a b c Kruckeberg, Arthur R. (1991). The Natural History of Puget Sound Country. Seattle: University of Washington Press. ISBN 0-295-97477-X }pages= pp. 61-64.  
  6. ^ Thrush, Coll (2007). Native Seattle: Histories from the Crossing-Over Place. University of Washington Press, p. 220. ISBN 0-295-98700-6.  
  7. ^ Code of Federal Regulations. "§ 9.151 Puget Sound." Title 27: Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms; Part 9 — American Viticultural Areas; Subpart C — Approved American Viticultural Areas. Retrieved Jan. 30, 2008.
  8. ^ Physiographic divisions of the conterminous U. S.. U. S. Geological Survey. Retrieved on 2007-12-06. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 1060 - Béla I of Hungary is crowned king of Hungary 1240 - Mongol invasion of Rus: Kiev
  9. ^ Fresh inflow ranges between a peak of about 367,000 cubic feet per second (10,400 m³/s) to a minimum of about 14,000 ft³/s (400 m³/s).
  10. ^ USGS GNIS: Puget Sound
  11. ^ Features Of Puget Sound Region: Oceanography And Physical Processes, Chapter 3 of the State of the Nearshore Report, King County Department of Natural Resources, Seattle, Washington, 2001.
  12. ^ "Ancient seismic stresses at work in Puget Sound region" Cyberwest Magazine 9 June 2004
  13. ^ Washington State Department of Ecology:"Puget Sound landslides"
  14. ^ For examples of the use of "Pugetopolis" see, for example, Pugetopolis, TIME Magazine; Puget Sound: Sea Between the Mountains, at Google Books, p. 46; Frommer's Washington State, at Google Books, p. 17; and Western Cordillera and Adjacent Area, at Google Books, p. 197.

Further reading

External links

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