Skip Links

USGS - science for a changing world

Scientific Investigations Map 2973

Bathymetry and Geology of the Floor of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana

By L.A. Morgan, W.C. Shanks, G.K. Lee, and M.W. Webring

Thumbnail of and link to map PDF (34.7 MB)Download Publication
SIM 2973
Sheet 1 PDF (34.7 MB)
Right-Click to 'Download' or 'Save As'

High-resolution, multi-beam sonar mapping of Yellowstone Lake was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey in conjunction with the National Park Service from 1999 to 2002. Yellowstone Lake is the largest high-altitude lake in North America, at an altitude of 2,357 m with a surface area of 341 km2. More than 140 rivers and streams flow into Yellowstone Lake. The Yellowstone River, which enters at the southern end of the lake into the Southeast Arm, dominates the inflow of water and sediment (Shanks and others, 2005). The only outlet from the lake is at Fishing Bridge where the Yellowstone River flows northward discharging 375 to 4,600 cubic feet per second. The multi-beam sonar mapping occurred over a four-year period beginning in 1999 with mapping of the northern basin, continued in 2000 in West Thumb basin, in 2001 in the central basin, and in 2002 in the southern part of the lake including the Flat Mountain, South, and Southeast Arms.

Version 1.0

Posted October 2007


Suggested citation:

Suggested citation: Morgan, L.A., Shanks, W.C., Lee, G.K., and Webring, M.W., 2007, Bathymetry and geology of the floor of Yellowstone Lake, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, Idaho, and Montana: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Map 2973, 2 sheets.



Part or all of this report is presented in Portable Document Format (PDF); the latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader or similar software is required to view it. Download the latest version of Acrobat Reader, free of charge or go to access.adobe.com for free tools that allow visually impaired users to read PDF files.

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

Take Pride in America home page. FirstGov button U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://pubsdata.usgs.gov/pubs/sim/2007/2973/index.html
Questions or Assistance: Contact USGS
Last modified: Thursday, 01-Dec-2016 17:08:50 EST