Re: Yellowstone: Hebgen Lake Earthquake 50th Anniversary

August 14-17, 2009: 50th Anniversary

Historical info/pics/newspaper articles:

http://www.seis.utah.edu/lqthreat/nehrp_htm/1959hebg/1959he1.shtml


Planned activites:

http://www.westyellowstonechamber.com
http://www.westyellowstonechamber.com/calendar/
http://www.westyellowstonechamber.com/calendar/Draft%20Schedule%20of%20Events%20(1).pdf



Info from State of Montana;

http://indiannations.visitmt.com/categories/moreinfo.asp?IDRRecordID=17495&SiteID=90

50th Anniversary of the Hebgen Lake Earthquake


August 14-17, 2009: 50th Anniversary of the Hebgen Lake Earthquake. Many of you * remember that August night in 1959 when one of the most powerful earthquakes was ever recorded in Montana. The proposed schedule of events include: Geologic Guest Speakers, Survivor Talks and Guided Walks. A community sponsored picnic for 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake Survivors, rescue workers and families. Smokejumpers re-enactment jump and tales. Memorial Service. Events will be held in West Yellowstone, Earthquake Lake Visitor Center and along the Madison River Canyon Earthquake Area.

Friday, August 14, 2009
Opening ceremony 1 p.m.
Geologic Guest speaker; Mike Stickney, Director of Earthquake Studies
Survivor Talk; Jerry Yetter
Guided walks to the Memorial Boulder
Location: Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

Friday evening programs: Jack Epstein, U.S.G.S. Geologist in 1959
Dave Lageson, M.S.U. Earth Science
Location: West Yellowstone Chamber

Saturday, August 15, 2009
Field trip to the Red Canyon and Hebgen Lake Fault sponsored by U.S.G.S. Time: 9 a.m to 3 p.m.

Guided walk @ 10 a.m. Refuge Point to Halford's Camp

Book signing by Doug Huigen at the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

Saturday evening programs
Geologic Guest Speaker: Location West Yellowstone Chamber
David Bittner, NPS Mt. Holmes Lookout Eye-witness
Hank Hessler, Yellowstone Park Geologist
Location: Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Smokejumper Program and Proficiency Jump at Refuge Point. Time: 9 a.m. 1959 Smokejumpers that jumped at Refuge Point and Hebgen Dam will be present to answer questions.

Tour of West Yellowstone Interagency Smoke Jumper Base

Open House for '59 Hebgen Lake Earthquake Survivors, Rescue Workers and Families. Bring Memorabilia to share. Time 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Survivor Talk at 2 p.m. Presenters: Joann Gartand and Cookie Kobel
Survivor Talk at 3 p.m. Presenter: Bill Conley
Geologic Guest Speaker:
Public Welcome. Location: Holiday Inn in West Yellowstone

Sunday evening program: Bob Smith, Location: T.B.A.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Chief of USDA Forest Service and Gallatin National Forest Officials to commemorate the 1959 Hebgen Lake Earthquake at the Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

Survivor Talk at 11 a.m. Presenters: Martin and Morgan Stryker
Location: Earthquake Lake Visitor Center

Conclude with a memorial service at the Memorial Boulder
Location: Earthquake Lake Visitor Center. Refreshments to follow.


* Many of you on yosemitenews.info will NOT remember

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

There is even a "Quake Lake" there which didn't exist before the quake. The shift in topography led to the formation of a new lake. Also I read that most of the geysers in Yellowstone erupted simultaneously, induced by the quake.

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Bob Weaver
Also I read that most of the geysers in Yellowstone erupted simultaneously, induced by the quake.

That's something I'd like to see!

Quote
eeek

Quote
Bob Weaver
Also I read that most of the geysers in Yellowstone erupted simultaneously, induced by the quake.

That's something I'd like to see!

I'm not aware of that geyser event, although I do believe there was some disruption of usual cycles. There were some roads closed in Yellowstone due to the quake and alternative, previously closed, roads were used for evacuation of park visitors. The Earthquake Visitor Center is worth a stop. The events of the quake are hard to appreciate without some guidance from the visitor center so best to visit that prior to driving East to Yellowstone. Some of the more interesting relics of the quake are the massive landslide that created quake lake, the "ghost cabins" which floated off foundations and were deposited far from the current water line, remains of houses that slipped into Hebgen Lake, and faultlines visible along the hills nearby. There were something like 29 deaths and it was the peak of tourist season in the area so there were many people impacted. Lots of tragic and near humorous stories. The most remarkable aspect of the quake, my opinion, was a hurricane force wind that carried away more than a few campers. The wind was created by the sudden collapse of a huge section of mountain that slid into the Madison River Drainage.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan

Quote
Bob Weaver
There is even a "Quake Lake" there which didn't exist before the quake.

Quake Lake and the slide that dammed the Madison River:

Sweet.
I don't remember seeing that photo before. It would have been taken sometime after the river channel was opened. The river initially (for several weeks, I believe) was completely blocked and there was an evacuation of the downstream town (Ennis) in the event of sudden collapse of the obstruction while the Corp of Engineers worked frantically to open a channel in a controlled fashion.

The aerial photo gives a better idea of the extent of the landslide than one gets by driving on the (now reconstructed) road along the river.

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The cure for a fallacious argument is a better argument, not the suppression of ideas.
-- Carl Sagan