Effects of the August 17, 1959 Earthquake and Subsequent Quaking Upon the Thermal Features of Yellowstone National Park
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Effects of the August 17, 1959 earthquake and subsequent quaking upon the thermal features of Yellowstone National Park Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Watson, Barry Norton, 1937- Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 27/09/2021 12:49:28 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/553960 EFFECTS OF THE AUGUST 17, 1959 EARTHQUAKE AND SUBSEQUENT QUAKING UPON THE THERMAL FEATURES OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL U . ,' . ■ • ■■■ . ' ■ PARK V> •, - . f- - . ■ V '■>: i ' ; Barry N. Watson U- i : ; r : -N.'n:- -t or '.<• : D:. .. v irr'rO!.- :.• / .Y or. y. "( ,. / A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of ' ; . ' ' ‘ ■ • - . r MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1961 r r STATEMENT BY AUTHOR / -inw v ; . a ; ; a A'Vu:.’!.-' :)F -Y ■ . ' - A :,:/Y. A This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of require ments for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is de posited in The University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in their judgment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar ship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. AAv -v.a ;a ::: ';A., JAA'A . A . • A ; ^ •, i A'.- '; A : AA 1. A'.v: yv.-'J .r- i \ : Y A a ' rr,: a. ■ - r/C SIGNED: hj. {JttfZZD___________ ■ ':'A _x ' ":A;A : . f / . A, Y ; Y; : a o:: : :A, ' Ail •' : . i ^ A Y'-urc : ; "vvvU'A- - APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR : v v a A.:- A. a . A : . A A "A :: A A b;r,: v i ; A A.'. This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: AA.1Ajv.-.v-A- / i A ; ... u- : ■■ : ; v. • oL'.:: - - v : v \ , . v ' : : ' - > ■ - ^ EFFECTS OF THE AUGUST 17, 1959 EARTHQUAKE AND i SUBSEQUENT QUAKING UPON THE THERMAL FEATURES OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL : •• : ! v ■ : • ; . PARK ' f ' 'w . : u by Barry N. Watson : / i . ABSTRACT The August 17, 1959 earthquake whose epicenter was placed in the Hebgen Lake region of southwestern Montana caused extensive changes within the hydrothermal network of geysers and hot springs in ... ; . ; . v, : - >■■■/■. ■■ ■■■ ■ ■ ■ ■ ' < ; nearby YeUowstone National Park. Although major feature changes due to tectonic and volcanic activities have been noted elsewhere in the world, i. e. Iceland and New Zealand, they had never been recorded in Yellowstone previous to 1959. The Firehole River geyser basins in Yellowstone National Park £::v % . .. .. , : : , .. ‘ ■■ ; - = ’ lie within an extensive rhyolitic plateau developed in late Tertiary and Quaternary times. Quaternary faulting on this plateau generally trends northwest to north. A similarly northwest-trending fault system was exposed by the 1959 earthquake in pre-Laramide sediments of the Hebgen ii Lake region 30 miles northwest of Old Faithful village and just off the Rhyolite Plateau. The results of the quake in the Old Faithful area . - - • : ^: O': , o likewise suggest the distinct possibility of a northwest-trending fault control of the thermal features. Although fault control is undisputed in most other thermal regions of the world it has been previously dis- credited in Yellowstone by such eminent scientists as E. T. Allen and V - - . ' •• ‘ ' ’ , ’ ' :‘ v- .................................................................... > A. L. Day], Or':.'- y. - <.:• : ....... .......................... r- The 1959 quaking caused an increase in thermal activity in the Firehble River basins. The average temperature of 167 sample springs « • . • ’ *•_ " • — >i •; « increased 6°F, discharge of thermal waters became apparently heavier, ■T:. Vi . •; and increased eruptive activity was noted. Some springs experienced, deer eased. or cessated activity. The major groups of thermal features in the Firehole River basins are reviewed on a before-and-after basis : to show earthquake change. • .......... ........... .......... r Thermal feature alignments, interchange of function between various hot springs, new post-quake thermal activity, land structural evidence from enlarged aerial photographs have convinced the author of fault control within the geyser basins. Several faults are mapped show ing a general northwest to north trend; however, evidence of such fault ing is admitted to be subtle and of extraordinary nature. An extension i L ............................... ......................... ......... 87 of this northwest-trending fault system in the Firehole River geyser 8 basins would project into the Hebgen Lake region. ........... iii : TABLE OF CONTENTS......................... ; : i .................................................... ' * *• - • t - a - * , > - ' ,r t > * % . - V . , J \. < + * * * * * i* * * ' ! » V- - * ; ................................ ......................... Page 1. INTRODUCTION ...................; .......;................ 1 M. ... ■ • ■Y'.v, (1.1) Location and History......................................................... 5. O ? (1. 2) Climate and V egetation..................................................... (1.3) Previous Geologic Investigations .................................. 3- A (1. 4); Methods Used for Thesis "Work . ........... ‘ 3(1.5) Acknowledgments . : .................................. ......................... 2. EFFECTS OF PREVIOUS.EARTHQUAKES IN KNOWN.......... * THERMAL AREAS.............................................................................. (2.1) Iceland ...3:. A... ;L...................................................... (2.2) New Zealand ........................................................................ (2.3) MThe G eysers,M California............................................... P. (2.4) Yellowstone National P a r k ............................................... -3 00 00 (O M M W 1 « K •.. { i;-- Yii'i-'j'-: l . \ ' 3. REGIONAL GEOLOGY............ .................. ........................................A 12 (3.1) (Rhyolite Plateau . ................................................................; 12 (3.2) Faulting on the Plateau .............................................. .. 13 v. (3.3) Geyser B a sin s...................................................................... A 16 4. 1959 EARTHQUAKE EFFECTS ON YELLOWSTONE............... THERMAL FEATURES.................................................................... 18 (4.1) Old Faithful G e y se r ......................................................... 20 - (4.2) Geyser Hill.......................................................................... h. >23 (4.3) Myriad Group .................................................................... 27 , (4.4) Castle Group ...................................................................... 29 (4. 5) Grand Group ..................................................................... 33 - (4.6) Oblong Geyser ; .................................................................. > 36 : (4. 7) Giant G roup....................................................................... 37 0, (418) Grotto Group :: v . ; ......................................................... 38 (4.9) Daisy Group........................................................................ 41 10 (4i 10) Black Sand Basin t ........................................................... 44 iv : t .v Page ; (4.11) Area Between Chain Lakes and Biscuit B a sin .......... 45 (4.12) Biscuit Basin ......................7 . ___ ................ 46 : (4.13) Midway Geyser Basin .. ..................... 51 (4.14) Great Fountain-White Dome A r e a ............................... 52 (4.15) Firehole Lake Area ............................ 55 (4.16) Fountain and Kaleidoscope Groups ............................. 56 (4.17) Other Thermal Areas in the Firehole Basins ........... 59 (4.18) Other Thermal Areas of Yellowstone P a r k .............. 61 5. CONCLUSIONS ................................................... 64 6. APPENDIX— TEMPERATURE RECORDS OF YELLOW STONE THERMAL FEATURES.................................................. 71 7. BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................... 82 LIST OF PLATES Plate Page 1. Reference and structure map of the Firehole River Geyser B a s in s ............................................................................ in pocket 2. Map of the Firehole Lakes .........................................................in pocket 3. Map of Geyser H ill....................................................................... in pocket 4. Map of the Myriad Group.............................................................. in pocket 5. Map of the Castle Group ................................. in pocket 6. Map of the Grand Group................................................................ in pocket 7. Map of the Grotto Group............................. in pocket 8. Map of the Daisy Group................................................................ in pocket