Mima Mounds Mystery

Mima mounds are dome-shaped natural soil mounds in North America.

Mima mounds range from 3 to over 50 meters in diameter.

Heights range from 30 cm to more than 1.2 meters tall.

Mima Mounds Natural Area Preserve protects a classic cluster in Washington.

The name "Mima" comes from Chinook Jargon meaning "a little further along".

Mima mounds can occur in densities over 50 mounds per hectare.

Mima mounds appear in patterns across North America’s western and central regions.

Pocket gophers may build mounds by pushing soil upward inside them.

Computer models show mounds slowly form over centuries from gopher burrowing.

Mima mounds in a grassy field at Washington preserve.

Vernal pools often form seasonally between Mima mounds in California.

Mima mounds reveal slow natural processes shaping landscapes over centuries.