Preliminary Geomorphic Map of the Kitsap Peninsula, Washington

The Kitsap Peninsula, in the center of the Puget Lowland of Washington State, has been glaciated repeatedly during the last 2 million years. This geologic history is significant to our understanding of crustal deformation, ground- and surface-water resources, the distribution of fishes, and other topics. Recent high-resolution lidar (LIght Detection And Ranging; also known as airborne laser swath mapping, or ALSM) topographic surveys of much of the Puget Lowland provide a more accurate depiction of the morphology of this forested landscape than has previously been available. More accurate morphology promises more accurate mapping of unconsolidated deposits and a more detailed earth history, particularly in this low-relief forested region where outcrops are not abundant and many deposits are similar in composition. In order to clarify the chain of observation and inference that proceeds from morphology to geologic map, this map describes the distribution of morphologic units - the 2-dimensional surfaces that bound near-surface deposits.