1959 earthquake centered in southwestern Montana, United States
1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake
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UTC time
1959-08-18 06:37:20
ISC event
882673
USGS-ANSS
ComCat
Local date
August 17, 1959 (1959-08-17)
Local time
23:37 (MST)
Magnitude
7.2 Mw[1]
Epicenter
44°51′47″N111°20′06″W / 44.863°N 111.335°W / 44.863; -111.335 ~15 miles (24 km) north of West Yellowstone, Montana, U.S.
Type
Dip-slip[2]
Areas affected
southwestern Montana, Idaho, Wyoming
Max. intensity
MMI X (Extreme)[3]
Casualties
28+ dead
The 1959 Hebgen Lake earthquake (also known as the 1959 Yellowstone earthquake)[4] occurred in the western United States on August 17 at 11:37 pm (MST) in southwestern Montana.[4][5]
The earthquake measured 7.2 on the moment magnitude scale,[1] caused a huge landslide, resulted in over 28 fatalities and left $11 million (equivalent to $115 million in 2023) in damage. The slide blocked the flow of the Madison River, resulting in the creation of Quake Lake. Significant effects of the earthquake were also felt in nearby Idaho and Wyoming, and lesser effects as far away as Puerto Rico and Hawaii.[6][page needed]
The 1959 quake was the strongest and deadliest earthquake to hit Montana, 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.[6][page needed]
^ abCite error: The named reference ISC-GEM was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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^ abHealy, Donna (1999). "40 years after the Hebgen Lake earthquake". The Billings Gazette. Archived from the original on July 7, 2007. Retrieved July 23, 2007.
^"SUMMARY OF HEBGEN LAKE 1959 EARTHQUAKE". University of Utah. 2007. Archived from the original on June 29, 2007. Retrieved July 25, 2007.
^ abChristopherson, Edmund (1962) [1960]. The Night the Mountain Fell: The Story of the Montana-Yellowstone Earthquake. Missoula, Montana: Lawton Printing Inc. ASIN B0007F2FX8.
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