Scientists finish mapping floor of Crater Lake
by U. S. Geological Survey Volcano Hazards Program
release August 2000
Using the latest multibeam sidescan sonar technology, scientists
from the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of New
Hampshire finished mapping the bottom of Crater Lake, Oregon, in
Crater Lake National Park. Learn more about the survey and new
images from the Crater Lake Data Clearinghouse and a USGS press
release.
The multibeam sidescan sonar mapping began in late July to
collect data from more than 50 million soundings. The survey
marks the first time that the entire bottom of the lake has been
mapped using modern technology. The project is similar to the
mapping of the bottom of Lake Tahoe, which the USGS conducted in
August 1998. The digital maps of Lake Tahoe revealed a lake
floor littered with the debris of ancient landslides and
confirmed the presence of an active earthquake fault.
By mapping the floor of Crater Lake, USGS and other scientists
hope the new, detailed, bathymetry study will shed light on
certain submerged volcanic landforms and may even lead to the
discovery of new vents. They also hope to find features that can
help tell when the lake filled, relative to eruptions, provide
more clues to the early eruptive history of Mount Mazama, and
identify earthquake-triggered landslide deposits.
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