Everything about Quake Lake totally explained
Quake Lake (also known as
Earthquake Lake) is a
lake in southwestern
Montana,
United States. It was created after a massive
earthquake struck on
August 17,
1959. Today, Quake Lake is 190 feet (58 m) deep and six miles (10 km) long.
US 287 follows the lake and offers glimpses of the effects of the earthquake and landslide and allows access to a visitor center. The lake is mostly within
Gallatin National Forest.
The earthquake
The earthquake measured 7.3 on the
Richter scale and caused an 80 million ton
landslide which dammed the
Madison River. The landslide traveled down the south 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 of both
wind and
water, crested over
Hebgen Dam, causing cracks and erosion. Besides being the largest known earthquake to have struck the state of Montana in recorded history, it's also the largest earthquake to occur in the Northern Rockies for centuries and is one of the largest earthquakes ever to hit the United States in recorded history.
The earthquake created
fault scarps up to 20 feet (6 m) high in the area near Hebgen lake and the lake bottom itself dropped the same distance. 32,000 acres (130 km²) of the area near Hebgen Lake subsided more than 10 feet (3 m). Several
geysers in the northwestern sections in
Yellowstone National Park erupted and numerous hot springs became temporarily muddied.
Hebgen Dam and creation of the lake
Hebgen Dam, built in 1914, is a
concrete core and rock fill faced structure that sustained severe damage but continued to hold. Repairs were completed on the dam spillway in a few weeks. The landslide, which occurred downstream from the dam, blocked almost all the flow of the Madison River which began to fill in the void upstream from the slide. In less than a month, the waters had created what is now known as Quake Lake. The lack of a reliable water outlet for this new lake forced one of the largest mobilizations of the
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ever commenced in the western U.S. Before the new landslide was breeched by the quickly rising waters, a
spillway was constructed to ensure erosion and potential failure of the natural dam would be minimized. 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 scale continued for several months.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Quake Lake'.
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