The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (also known as the 1959 Yellowstone earthquake) occurred in the

western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

United States on August 17 at 11:37 pm ( MST) in southwestern

Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...

. The earthquake measured 7.2 on the

moment magnitude scale The moment magnitude scale (MMS; denoted explicitly with or Mwg, and generally implied with use of a single M for magnitude) is a measure of an earthquake's magnitude ("size" or strength) based on its seismic moment. was defined in a 1979 paper ...

, caused a huge landslide, resulted in over 28 fatalities and left $11 million (equivalent to $ million in ) in damage. The slide blocked the flow of the

Madison River The Madison River is a headwater tributary of the Missouri River, approximately long, in Wyoming and Montana. Its confluence with the Jefferson and Gallatin rivers near Three Forks, Montana forms the Missouri River. Course The Madison Ri ...

, resulting in the creation of

Quake Lake 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. Northwest of West Yellowston ...

. Significant effects of the earthquake were also felt in nearby

Idaho Idaho ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest and Mountain states, Mountain West subregions of the Western United States. It borders Montana and Wyoming to the east, Nevada and Utah to the south, and Washington (state), ...

and

Wyoming Wyoming ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States, Western United States. It borders Montana to the north and northwest, South Dakota and Nebraska to the east, Idaho t ...

, and lesser effects as far away as

Puerto Rico ; abbreviated PR), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, is a Government of Puerto Rico, self-governing Caribbean Geography of Puerto Rico, archipelago and island organized as an Territories of the United States, unincorporated territo ...

and

Hawaii Hawaii ( ; ) is an island U.S. state, state of the United States, in the Pacific Ocean about southwest of the U.S. mainland. One of the two Non-contiguous United States, non-contiguous U.S. states (along with Alaska), it is the only sta ...

. The 1959 quake was the strongest and deadliest earthquake to hit

, the second being the 1935–36 Helena earthquakes that left four people dead. It also caused the worst landslides in the northwestern United States since 1927.

Earthquake

The earthquake occurred at 11:37 p.m. (MST) with a magnitude of 7.2 . The U.S. Weather Bureau reported that the quake lasted 30–40 seconds. During the quake, the surrounding landscape dropped as much as and shockwaves caused numerous

seiche A seiche ( ) is a standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water. Seiches and seiche-related phenomena have been observed on lakes, reservoirs, swimming pools, bays, harbors, caves, and seas. The key requirement for formatio ...

s to surge across Hebgen Lake for 12 hours. Water pushed by the seiches poured over Hebgen Dam which did not collapse. Several aftershocks ranging from 5.8 to 6.3 were reported after the quake. The earthquake struck Madison Canyon, an area to the west of

Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

. Several nearby campgrounds were occupied by vacationing campers and tourists at the time. Although magnitude estimates for the 1959 earthquake vary (the

United States Geological Survey The United States Geological Survey (USGS), founded as the Geological Survey, is an agency of the U.S. Department of the Interior whose work spans the disciplines of biology, geography, geology, and hydrology. The agency was founded on Mar ...

recorded the quake at both 7.3 bridged from /ref> and 7.5, now calculated by the ISC as 7.2 ) the 1959 earthquake is comparable to the

1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 AM Pacific Time Zone, Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated Moment magnitude scale, moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli inte ...

as one of the strongest earthquakes in North America, behind the 1964 magnitude 9.2 Good Friday earthquake in

Alaska Alaska ( ) is a non-contiguous U.S. state on the northwest extremity of North America. Part of the Western United States region, it is one of the two non-contiguous U.S. states, alongside Hawaii. Alaska is also considered to be the north ...

and the 1811–1812 New Madrid earthquakes in

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

. The 1959 earthquake is also the most severe earthquake in the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

area of the United States along with the 6.9 magnitude earthquake which struck

in 1983. The landslide caused by this quake was the largest since an earthquake in

in 1925 caused a landslide amounting to of rock and debris that left 28 people dead. The death toll from the quake was also the highest since the 1925 earthquake and most recent for the

Northwestern United States The Northwestern United States, also known as the American Northwest or simply the Northwest, is an informal geographic region of the United States. The region consistently includes the states of Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Wyoming ...

since an earthquake in 1927 that left seven people dead. The 1959 earthquake was also the most damaging earthquake to occur in

since the 1935–36 earthquakes that left four people dead. The Hebgen Lake area also experienced earthquakes again in 1964, 1974, 1977 and 1985.

Effects

The landslides caused by the quake carried of rock, mud and debris down into the valley and created hurricane-force winds strong enough to toss cars. In Madison Canyon, the landslide swept away a family of seven, five of whom perished. Two more fatalities were also reported in nearby Cliff Lake to the south. In Rock Creek, tourists camping there were caught off guard by the quake and landslide, which swept them into the creek. The earthquake caused a

which inundated trailers and tents, uprooted trees, and injured one additional person. In nearby

, 289 springs erupted in geysers, 160 of which had never had geyser activity before, and cracks ruptured the surface. Near

Old Faithful Old Faithful is a cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, United States. It was named in 1870 during the Washburn–Langford–Doane Expedition and was the first geyser in the park to be named. It is a highly predictable geotherma ...

, the earthquake damaged the Old Faithful Inn, forcing guests there to evacuate. Landslides caused by the quake blocked a road between Mammoth and Old Faithful, damaging a bridge inside the park. There was one reported injury when a woman broke her wrist. The earthquake also created

fault scarp A fault scarp is a small step-like offset of the ground surface in which one side of a fault has shifted vertically in relation to the other. The topographic expression of fault scarps results from the differential erosion of rocks of contrastin ...

s as high as , causing extensive damage to roads, homes, and buildings. In

Belgrade, Montana Belgrade is a city in Gallatin County, Montana, United States. The population was 10,460 at the 2020 census, and was estimated to be 12,509 in 2023. Belgrade is part of the Bozeman, MT Metropolitan statistical area. It is the most populous ci ...

the earthquake damaged measuring equipment placed in a water well. The quake also knocked out telephone communications between Bozeman and

Yellowstone Yellowstone National Park is a List of national parks of the United States, national park of the United States located in the northwest corner of Wyoming, with small portions extending into Montana and Idaho. It was established by the 42nd U ...

, with the city of Bozeman itself suffering moderate quake damage to homes and buildings. Buildings at the

Montana State University Montana State University (MSU) is a public land-grant research university in Bozeman, Montana, United States. It enrolls more students than any other college or university in the state. MSU offers baccalaureate degrees in 60 fields, master's d ...

campus also sustained quake damage. In

Butte In geomorphology, a butte ( ) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and table (landform), tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from the French l ...

, the quake caused a pendulum clock to stop at 12:42 a.m. (MST) and caused minor damage to homes. Areas around Hebgen Lake were also affected as the quake caused parts of the lake to rise . Roads and highways running along the shores of the lake collapsed into the water. In

Ennis Ennis ( , meaning 'island' or 'river meadow') is the county town of County Clare, in the mid-west of Ireland. The town lies on the River Fergus, north of where the river widens and enters the Shannon Estuary. Ennis is the largest town in Cou ...

, most residents were evacuated due to concern Hebgen Lake might flood the town. The evacuation was subsequently called off when it became known the landslide had blocked the river's flow. In West Yellowstone, the earthquake damaged a courthouse and a railroad station. The earthquake also caused damage and fatalities outside of Montana. In Raynolds Pass in Eastern

, a landslide killed eight more people. Seismic waves from the quake were reported in

Boise Boise ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho. As of the 2020 census, there were 235,685 people residing in the city. Located on the Boise River in southwestern Idaho, it is east of the Oregon border and nor ...

and Macks Inn, Idaho, causing minor well and sewer damage. The final death toll from the earthquake was 28, although some newspaper reports suggested the death toll was high as 50–60. US$11 million (equivalent to $ million in ) in damage was caused. The quake was felt outside the region. In

Salt Lake County, Utah Salt Lake County is located in the U.S. state of Utah. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 1,185,238, making it the most populous county in Utah. Its county seat and largest city is Salt Lake City, the List of capitals in th ...

, police officers at the local jail and officials at the Salt Lake Municipal Airport felt the effects of the earthquake. Water levels in wells were affected as far away as

, away, where water in wells fluctuated , and in

. Levels in nearby Idaho fluctuated as much as .

Earthquake Lake

The landslide caused by the quake blocked the flow of the

. The blockage caused the water to rise and formed a new lake, which was later to be named

(officially Earthquake Lake). Fearing that the pressure caused by the rising water would result in a catastrophic flood, the Army Corps of Engineers began to cut a wide and deep channel into the slide. By September 10, water began to flow through the channel. To prevent more erosion by the flowing water, the Army Corps cut another channel which was completed on October 29. The construction of the two channels cost US$1.7 million (equivalent to $ million in ).

Aftermath

Amateur radio Amateur radio, also known as ham radio, is the use of the radio frequency radio spectrum, spectrum for purposes of non-commercial exchange of messages, wireless experimentation, self-training, private recreation, radiosport, contesting, and emer ...

operator Warren Russel, operating radio-station coded K7ICM transmitted news of the quake at 11:43 p.m. (MST). At 11:50 p.m., another amateur (Fr. Francis A. Peterson of St. Anthony in

) contacted the Idaho State Police who in turn contacted their headquarters in

. The Montana Highway Patrol, Montana State

Civil Defense Civil defense or civil protection is an effort to protect the citizens of a state (generally non-combatants) from human-made and natural disasters. It uses the principles of emergency management: Risk management, prevention, mitigation, prepara ...

and the

Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) is a government agency in the executive branch state of Montana in the United States with responsibility for protecting sustainable fish, wildlife, and state-owned park resources in Monta ...

also received word of the earthquake and its effects. The geography of the area plus the damage from the earthquake disrupted and/or obstructed radio communications, making broadcasting accurate information about the quake's effects difficult. The Yellowstone County Chapter of the

American Red Cross The American National Red Cross is a Nonprofit organization, nonprofit Humanitarianism, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief, and disaster preparedness education in the United States. Clara Barton founded ...

The Salvation Army The Salvation Army (TSA) is a Protestantism, Protestant Christian church and an international charitable organisation headquartered in London, England. It is aligned with the Wesleyan-Holiness movement. The organisation reports a worldwide m ...

and various other local, national, and organizations from multiple states sent aid to the victims of the earthquake. The Red Cross also set up temporary housing in Bozeman and the Wyoming Department of Health sent 200 trailers to the Yellowstone area to be used as hospitals. Because the majority of the roads in and around the Yellowstone area were either damaged or blocked by the landslides and the quake, equipment and personnel from the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

and the

U.S. Forest Service The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...

were brought in to transport the injured to nearby hospitals outside the quake zone and to perform search and rescue missions in Madison Canyon. 300 people trapped in the canyon were rescued. Rescuers found five to nine bodies in the earthquake zone. Residents from the town of

were evacuated to Virginia City and

. Senators and Representatives Frank Moss (D-Utah), John Baldwin (R-California), Harold Johnson (D-California), Lee Metcalf (D-Montana), Leroy Anderson (D-Montana), Tom Morris (D-New Mexico) and Gracie Pfost (D-Idaho) flew over and surveyed the disaster area. The Senate Interior and Insular Affairs Committee requested Montana Governor J. Hugo Aronson to declare the areas hardest hit by the quake a disaster area. Wyoming Governor John J. Hickey provided help and equipment in the aftermath of the quake. The Montana National Guard was called to the quake area to prevent looting of campsites left abandoned by the quake. The

Idaho National Guard The Idaho Military Department consists of the Idaho Army National Guard, the Idaho Air National Guard, the Idaho Bureau of Homeland Security, and formerly the Idaho State Guard. Its headquarters are located in Boise, Idaho, Boise. The main goal ...

were also sent to the quake area. The Montana Highway Department began clearing roads of debris and mud. The work was slowed by aftershocks and smaller landslides. On August 19, US Highway 20 and US Highway 191 were reopened while Montana State Highway 1 remained closed. Three bridges in Duck Creek, Cougar Creek and Madison Canyon were repaired and reopened as well. Because of the threat of

gasoline Gasoline ( North American English) or petrol ( Commonwealth English) is a petrochemical product characterized as a transparent, yellowish, and flammable liquid normally used as a fuel for spark-ignited internal combustion engines. When for ...

spilling into the

Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...

, a local pipeline company built an emergency pumping station. The Montana Power Company surveyed Hebgen Dam and found it sustained minimal damage. Hebgen Lake was completely drained for crewmen to make repairs and to rid it of dead or dying fish. Overall repairs to the Yellowstone National Park amounted to US$2.6 million (equivalent to $ million in ). Fifty people including

police officer A police officer (also called policeman or policewoman, cop, officer or constable) is a Warrant (law), warranted law employee of a police, police force. In most countries, ''police officer'' is a generic term not specifying a particular rank. ...

s, members of the Red Cross and others held a memorial service a mile north of the slide in Madison Canyon for campers presumed buried under the quake-induced landslide. The services lasted for 15 minutes. After the quake, the U.S. Forest Service built the Quake Lake visitor center on top of the landslide which was completed in 1967. The U.S. Forest Service placed a plaque on one of the boulders that fell during the quake to honor the 19–21 people who were killed during the quake-induced landslide.

References

External links

The Night the Mountain Fell
''Peeling Back the Bark'',

Forest History Society The Forest History Society is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of forest and conservation history."Forest History Society." Echo Project. Center for History and New Media, George Mason University. http://echo.gmu. ...