Quake Lake

Coordinates: 44°51′10″N 111°23′20″W / 44.8528°N 111.3889°W / 44.8528; -111.3889
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For other lakes created by earthquakes, see Landslide dam.
Quake Lake
Primary inflows
Madison River
Primary outflowsMadison River
Basin countriesUnited States
Max. length6 mi (9.7 km)
Max. width0.25 mi (0.40 km)
Surface area611.8 acres (247.6 ha)[2]
Average depth47.2 ft (14.4 m)[3]
Max. depth124.88 ft (38.06 m)[3]
Water volume26,555 acre⋅ft (32,755,000 m3)[3]
Surface elevation6,391 ft (1,948 m)[1]
U.S. Geological Survey
Quake Lake from overlook

Quake Lake (officially Earthquake Lake) is a lake in the western United States, on the Madison River in southwestern Montana. It was created after an earthquake struck on August 17, 1959, with 28 fatalities.[4] Northwest of West Yellowstone, Quake Lake is six miles (10 km) in length with a maximum depth of 125 feet (38 m).

U.S. Route 287 follows the lake and offers glimpses of the effects of the earthquake and landslide, and a visitor center is just off the road. The lake is mostly within Gallatin National Forest.

Earthquake

Main article: 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake

The earthquake measured 7.5 on the

Richter magnitude scale (revised by USGS to 7.3) and caused an 80-million ton landslide, which formed a landslide dam on the Madison River. The earthquake was the most powerful to hit the state of Montana in historic times. The landslide traveled down the north flank of Sheep Mountain, at an estimated 100 miles per hour (160 km/h), killing 28 people who were camping along the shores of Hebgen Lake and downstream along the Madison River. Upstream the faulting caused by the earthquake forced the waters of Hebgen Lake to shift violently. A seiche, a wave effect created by wind, atmospheric pressure, or seismic activity on water, crested over Hebgen Dam
, causing cracks and erosion.

The earthquake created

geysers in the northwestern sections in Yellowstone National Park erupted and numerous hot springs became temporarily muddied.[4]

Within the immediate vicinity of the earthquake and resultant landslide, a few dozen cabins and homes were destroyed. Overall damages to buildings and roads were minor with damage costs placed at 11 million dollars in 1959. Aftershocks up to 6.5 on the Richter magnitude scale continued for several months.[4] At the time, the quake was the second largest to occur in the continental US during the 20th century.[5]

Hebgen Dam and creation of the lake

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ever commenced in the western U.S. Before the new landslide was breached by the quickly rising waters, a spillway
was constructed to ensure erosion and potential failure of the natural dam would be minimized.

Visitors center

Memorial for the victims from the 1959 earthquake at the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

In 1967, the

Custer Gallatin National Forest.[5]

References

  1. ^ a b "Earthquake Lake". Geographic Names Information System. United States Geological Survey, United States Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ "Quake Lake". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c "Quake Lake 2011 Aerial Imagery". Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Retrieved July 7, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c "Largest Earthquake in Montana". Historic Earthquakes. United States Geological Survey. October 21, 2009. Archived from the original on January 5, 2010. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
  5. ^ a b "Earthquake Lake Visitor Center". Custer Gallatin National Forest. USDA Forest Service. Retrieved January 14, 2019.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Quake Lake.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Quake_Lake&oldid=1168895231"