I'm Still Wondering...

[prairiechickin]

I'm Still Wondering,


Last summer a poster on here mentioned he was at the south end of Last Mountain Lake , which dropped four feet, then rose eight, and he could measure this by his dock. Entirely credible, I think this happened and I'm still wondering what caused this. I went out to the U of R and spent an afternoon wandering the hallways of the geology/geography departments, they found the story interesting, but mostly they were as puzzled as me. I'm not a geologist or a geographer, but it is a hobby of mine, particularly when it concerns Saskatchewan. The concept of an eight foot wave roaring down LML is mind-boggling to me. Do you know how large that lake is? You can see it in satellite photos, its the appendix scar on Saskatchewan, its a big lake. Its a mile wide and 70 miles long, its over 100 feet deep in places, its the scar left by an ancient glacier. For something to buckle a wave eight foot wave to roll down the lake, that's a significant earth event.
So what was it? I'm thinking uplift across the middle of the lake, although I cannot think of a mechanism to do this, or a general uplift of the entire northern end of the lake. That would be obvious, there would me miles of dead mud at the north end. I wish I had driven the lake soon after to look for evidence. But that's a pretty big bathtub sloshing around on the prairies. Yet another mystery.

[Tyree]

I'm Still Wondering,


Last summer a poster on here mentioned he was at the south end of Last Mountain Lake , which dropped four feet, then rose eight, and he could measure this by his dock. Entirely credible, I think this happened and I'm still wondering what caused this. I went out to the U of R and spent an afternoon wandering the hallways of the geology/geography departments, they found the story interesting, but mostly they were as puzzled as me. I'm not a geologist or a geographer, but it is a hobby of mine, particularly when it concerns Saskatchewan. The concept of an eight foot wave roaring down LML is mind-boggling to me. Do you know how large that lake is? You can see it in satellite photos, its the appendix scar on Saskatchewan, its a big lake. Its a mile wide and 70 miles long, its over 100 feet deep in places, its the scar left by an ancient glacier. For something to buckle a wave eight foot wave to roll down the lake, that's a significant earth event.
So what was it? I'm thinking uplift across the middle of the lake, although I cannot think of a mechanism to do this, or a general uplift of the entire northern end of the lake. That would be obvious, there would me miles of dead mud at the north end. I wish I had driven the lake soon after to look for evidence. But that's a pretty big bathtub sloshing around on the prairies. Yet another mystery.

Something to ponder, if the artesian wells in those hills slumped would the water pressure be sufficient to create the wave through underwater outlets in the lake?

[squish]

Interesting thoughts. Uplift is tough to invoke, not impossible. Moreso you would expect perhaps more downward movement, which could create the same type of wave. I'm not sure of a mechanism to cause that either though. What I do know that is going on all around the lake is slumping of large wedges of land into the lake, and in some cases taking the cabins and houses along with them. Is it possible that there was a large landslide into the lake to cause this wave? I suppose, but you'd think that big a slide would create news as well.

[Tyree]

Interesting thoughts. Uplift is tough to invoke, not impossible. Moreso you would expect perhaps more downward movement, which could create the same type of wave. I'm not sure of a mechanism to cause that either though. What I do know that is going on all around the lake is slumping of large wedges of land into the lake, and in some cases taking the cabins and houses along with them. Is it possible that there was a large landslide into the lake to cause this wave? I suppose, but you'd think that big a slide would create news as well.

That is why I thought the slump may have been subterranean and have caused an outward underwater pressure that may have created a surge further down the lake with an amplified wave as it got towards the shallow south end. Something the average punter wouldn't notice.

[squish]

That is why I thought the slump may have been subterranean and have caused an outward underwater pressure that may have created a surge further down the lake with an amplified wave as it got towards the shallow south end. Something the average punter wouldn't notice.

If its a 100ft deep lake in some parts, it could be a slump on that slope but just under the water to cause it like a mini tsunami kind of thing.

[Tyree]

If its a 100ft deep lake in some parts, it could be a slump on that slope but just under the water to cause it like a mini tsunami kind of thing.

Was there ever any mention made of increased turbidity in the water? I don't recall. And I believe I mistyped when I called them artesian wells, they would actually be artesian springs.

[drysaddle]

I’m just going to spitball this but could all that Quill Lake water affect that lake somehow? I don’t know anything about the wave, that sounds pretty big.

[squish]

I’m just going to spitball this but could all that Quill Lake water affect that lake somehow? I don’t know anything about the wave, that sounds pretty big.

I don't think so, unless there was a massive release of water from Quill all at once. I know they are controversially releasing some of that water into the chain lakes I think, but I doubt it would be sudden like that.

[Sofaking]

Welcome back to the chicken.

[The_G]

I'm not saying it was aliens, but it was aliens

[Tyree]

Some fat bastard farted at Regina Beach and caused a tsunami.

[Sprout]

I remember that thread and yours piqued my curiosity. The relevant post began at No. 166 and continued for a few pages.

The seiche explanation sounds plausible, if you consider the configuration of the lake, its orientation and the generally northwest direction of wind there.

So then I looked up the historical data for Aug 12, 2018, as per this link. Perhaps a very strong NW wind, followed by a rapid reversal of direction, caused the lake to slosh like a giant bathtub. Can not say for sure because I don<t know how to read the data.

I wonder what the WSA would have to say about it.

[buddy green]

Where have you been Chicken? I missed your stories...Welcome back.

[juice]

Some fat bastard farted at Regina Beach and caused a tsunami.

I did a cannonball off the dock at Colesdale.

[bosshodg]

I'm Still Wondering,


Last summer a poster on here mentioned he was at the south end of Last Mountain Lake , which dropped four feet, then rose eight, and he could measure this by his dock. Entirely credible, I think this happened and I'm still wondering what caused this. I went out to the U of R and spent an afternoon wandering the hallways of the geology/geography departments, they found the story interesting, but mostly they were as puzzled as me. I'm not a geologist or a geographer, but it is a hobby of mine, particularly when it concerns Saskatchewan. The concept of an eight foot wave roaring down LML is mind-boggling to me. Do you know how large that lake is? You can see it in satellite photos, its the appendix scar on Saskatchewan, its a big lake. Its a mile wide and 70 miles long, its over 100 feet deep in places, its the scar left by an ancient glacier. For something to buckle a wave eight foot wave to roll down the lake, that's a significant earth event.
So what was it? I'm thinking uplift across the middle of the lake, although I cannot think of a mechanism to do this, or a general uplift of the entire northern end of the lake. That would be obvious, there would me miles of dead mud at the north end. I wish I had driven the lake soon after to look for evidence. But that's a pretty big bathtub sloshing around on the prairies. Yet another mystery.

That was me.

No wave was visible and no exaggerated rough waters. It all happened over a couple of hours if I remember correctly. More like a tide than a wave.

There would have been zero evidence unless you were there. Think tide.