Yellowstone Lake
The Yellowstone Lake ( formerly Lake Eustis and Sublette 's Lake ) is 354 km ² the largest lake of Yellowstone National Park and the largest alpine lake in North America, with an elevation of over 2,000 meters. It is situated on 2357 meters in the south of the park, in Teton County in the U.S. state of Wyoming. With its northeastern shore, he is also adjacent to the Park County. In length ( north-south), it measures a maximum of 32 km in width (east-west ) 22 km. The coast stretches out to 177 km. The average depth is 43 m, the maximum depth is 122 m. In August, the surface temperature rises to an average of 16 ° C ( 60.8 ° F); the temperature at the bottom of the lake never reached more than 5.5 ° C ( 42 ° F).
The Yellowstone Lake is surrounded largely by forested mountains. In the western shore there is a geothermal area with hot springs and geysers.
In recent years, the bottom of the lake raised significantly; on average about 2.5 cm / year. This indicates increasing geological activities. As a result, parts of the national park for tourists were locked.
Geology
During the last major eruption of the Yellowstone volcano about 640,000 years ago, the magma chamber collapsed inside the earth of the Yellowstone area. There was a large caldera that was later partially filled with lava flows. During the last ice age, a glacier -formed for the most part in the caldera basin. The water level of the original lake was 30 to 60 feet above the present level. At that time, the lake stretched far into the Hayden Valley, to the foot of Mount Washburn.
The Yellowstone Lake emptied in the course of geological evolution in different directions: About the Snake River to the south in the Pacific, via Hudson Bay, the Atlantic Ocean and today on the Yellowstone River, Missouri River and Mississippi River into the Gulf of Mexico and from there ends up in the Atlantic.
Activities
Due to the cold water is not recommended for swimming in the lake, but there is no swimming ban. In Grant Village and Bridge Bay Boats can be hired; of Bridge Bay from Travelers also can take part in tours.
Licenses for fishing can be purchased at ranger stations, visitor centers, car shops and a harbor in Bridge Bay. For anglers especially popular is the Yellowstone cutthroat trout.
Yellowstone Lake