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Notice Concerning Copyright Restrictions NOTICE CONCERNING COPYRIGHT RESTRICTIONS This document may contain copyrighted materials. These materials have been made available for use in research, teaching, and private study, but may not be used for any commercial purpose. Users may not otherwise copy, reproduce, retransmit, distribute, publish, commercially exploit or otherwise transfer any material. The copyright law of the United States (Title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be "used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research." If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of "fair use," that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law. fne 1 iii lillI .· • Effects of the Hebgen Lake Earthquake of August 17, 1959 on the Hot Springs of the Firehole Geyser Basins #../ ·· 0 ,, -1 Yellowstone- National Park i - -By GEORGE D. MARLER · /46 f• 1 1 THE HEBGEN LAKE, MONTANA, EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 17, 1959 i t .i t ,.,, GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PRO·FESSIONAL PAPER 435-Q "'<=f=»" 1 ••544 F<•••4#-*p# 1.464'<3 -141M C\Zte/gy*4&*AAZ-.....•..9 1 - i, UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE, WASHINGTON : 1964 · -1 CONTENTS Page 1S5 185 fon« 185 PM 186 survey 186 , of August to December 105(1 1S6 wthquake changes...._......- 195 ;eyser Bngin 195 Geyser R n vin 196 ;cyser Rnqin 196 197 197 III ! ll f 4..., . D [* ' THE HEBGEN LAKE, MONTANA, EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 17, 1959 fFECTS OF THE.HEBGEN LAKE EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 17, 1959, ON THE HOT SPRINGS OF THE FIREHOLE GEYSER BASINS, YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK 6 By GEORGE D. MARLER 8 ABSTRACT j Because the author is particularly familiar with the i . ;i, 1,•,59 Irebgen Lake earthquake resulted in great changes thermal areas in the Firehole geyser basins and be- '. ile flinctional behavior of most of the ' thermal springs cause preearthquake records of thermal activity are i. .:: the Firehole and Gil)bon Rivers in the Yellowstone Na- far more abundant for this area than for others in the 1,41 I,ark. The effects were particularly marked along the park, this paper deals mainly with the Firehole basins, qI:<,1,· drainage. This is the region of Yellowstone's 3-pst ..1-Et:>.Hers and hQL springs. The initial ·tremors served the region of Yellowstone's most famous geysers and t, Impetus to bring about eruptive activity in scores of hot springs. -,rit nncl quiesceut_SPIings. Many long-dormant geysers ,, FIRST IMPRESSIONS i . gM-n few new geysers were born. Some hot springs ·' ..3,·,11 <, be affected adversely, but on the whole there was As 'soon as daylight of August 18 permitted,. a hur- .,·:·In·al,le increase in thermal energy that, with the passing ried »connaissance was made of the geyser basins. r.';: ".,1 gave evidence of persisting. This paper gives a Most,of the springs visited on that and succeeding 3.40 4 the immi:dinte effpcts of the earthquake upon the da,jis showed evidence of functional alterati6n. One 21,/4 112 the Firehole geyser basins; and then, by means of of the noticeable changes was the marked increase in , •:n, i,resents data which show preearthquake and post- (:--·;.iti:ike conditions of the better known hot springs. These discharge of hot water and steam. As the reconnais- ., ilt·:,1 with functional behavior, tenlperature, discharge, sance proceeded, the evidence of a general increase in .'. M,c·rril characteristics. temperature and activity became even more apparent. Scores of hitherto quiescent springs with no previous INTRODUCTION recdrd of geyser activity were either boiling or showed 11:,ty earthquakes have been recorded in Yellow- clear evidence of having erupted. Large fragments •: Nalional Park since its establishment in 1872. of sinter scattered around the craters of some springs ..il.\1'glist 17, 1959, none was gf suilicient intensity indicated a major increase of activity and forceful :.1,Millce observable changes in any hot spring, and eruptibn. ,· ,1,·,pile tlie fact that many important changes in - The earthquake not only stimulated geyser activity lim •xmgs have taken place since their discovery. in many formerly quiescent springs, but most of the · t.t- e i i.,· liel,gen Lake eartliqualce, with a magnitude of geysers with established patterns of play erupted at. 1,·,tilled in severe jarrings all over the park. It shorter intervals. Only a few of the well-known " ntily in western sections, however, that severe geysers seemed to be affected adversely in tliat their r:ly restilted to man-made installations. In this activity decreased. Dfiring the first few days a num- '' - 1 11(·te were great rock slides from numerous es- ber of springs seemed to have escaped any change in .•,!:wws witli resultant timber destruction and road activity or temperature, but time and additional obser- 4 ..gil :ilso, there were great changes in the be- vatibil disclosed that the earthquake had affected in , I .·,r ,•f liot springs. These changes were particu- varying degree practically every spring in the main '·"' t'mwituced in the geyser basins along the Fire- basins. i6137,1.· :15 miles southeast of tlie epicentral area Cracks and breaks in surface deposits showed in Iebgen Lake. There was also extensive changes many places in all three basins, more particularly in number of hot springs on the Gibbon River drain- the Lower Geyser Basin. Some of these cracks had in tlie northwestern part of the park. Hot springs fumarolic action. In the Firehole Lake area of the : affected to a lesser degree in eastern sections. Lower Geyser Basin the cracks were crisscrossed with S. National Park Service. numerous minor displacements but with no apparent . 185 1 . i 186 THE HEBGEN LAKE, MONTANA, EARTHQUAKE OF AUGUST 17, 1959 system of alinement. Careful menslirements indicated of study following the earthquake. To facilitate the that the total lengtli of the cracks near Firehole Lake postearthquake study, the National Park Service Apl was 9,072 feet, or 1.72 miles. Cracks extended through ,aside funds and created .: project to ]ielp catalog the centers of craters of a few springs. • changes induced by the August 17 earthquake. This One of the unusual conditions produced by the project was given th8 somewhat formidable title earthquake was murkiness of the formerly limpid "Emergency Interpretive Study of Earthquake Phe. water of hundreds of springs. The Lower Basin had nomena, Yellowstone National Park." The first phase a larger proportion of murky springs than the Upper of the study was completed late in December 1959. Basin, and the water in many of the geysers was tinted by fine sediment. RESULTS OF INITIAL SURVEY Not only did the Lower Basin, which is nearer the As indicated above, a cursory inspection of all I-Iebgen Lake area than the Upper Basin, show an groups of springs was made during the first three increased number of turbid springs, but also the water days following the earthquake. The data sought in levels in a large proportion of the springi had fallen. this preview were changes in the state of water and iii The great majority of springs whose livels were a few eruptive activity. A summary of the state of springs inches to a few feet below previous normal states and geysers observed at that time and their location showed distinct evidence that the ebbing had been as to group and basin is given in table 92. The general preceded by surging. and discharge. Throughout the location of the basins and thermal groups as well as basins. there was evideilce that the earthquake had some of the better known thermal units is shown in acted like a giant hand which suddenly applied enor- plate 4. mous pressure to the rocks beneath the hot springs, forcing water from their conduits in a manner com- RESULTS OF SURVEY OF AUGUST TO DECEMBER 1959 parable to the squeezing of a sponge. L. Between the time of the preliminary survey and Conditions around the hot springs indidated that a the end of December, practically every spring listed great increase in discharge took place during or im- as being normal ( table 22 ) underwent changes that mediately after the initial big tremor. Its jarring seem related directly or indirectly to the earthquake, served as a trigger to start discharge from hundreds If the postearthquake observations have revealed any of springs. Had this happened in the daytime, the one fact, it is that many earthquake-induced changes spectator would have witnessed geyser activity on a are progressive. Few days passed without new fuma- scale never even closely approximated since Yellow- roles being developed and previously quiescent springs stone's discovery. Even so, during the days following becoming eruptive. August 17 a spectacle witliout precedent was observed. The effects of the earthquake on thermal water in For example, in the Fountain Group in the Lower the park are shown in tables 23 and 24. Table 25 Basin, major geysers witli no. previous record of con- summarizes data for some of the springs, pools, and certed action erupted simultaneously and for sustained geysers not affected by tlie eartliquake. Tiie classifica- periods never previously known. tion of geysers, springs, and pools is to a considerable extent arbitrary and is used for convenience in pre- OBJECT OF PAPER sentation. It is not based on any natural or special The following discussion shows statistically the na- distinction, rather upon long-accepted local designa- ture aiid degree of change in the behavior of most of tions.
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