Lake Bonneville EarthCache
-
Difficulty:
-
-
Terrain:
-
Size: 
(other)
Please note Use of geocaching.com services is subject to the terms and conditions
in our disclaimer.
A quick stop at a rest stop on I-84 going either direction. Called out on the rest stop sign as a Geological Site. The original coords. are North bound on I-84, South on I-84 are N42 04.472 W112 54.679
This site is a marker for the Lake Bonneville area. Stop by and find the info about the prehistoric lake. Lake Bonneville was a large, ancient lake that existed from about 32 to 14 thousand years ago. It was about 325 miles long, and 135 miles wide with a depth of over 1,000 feet. The lake was filled by dierct precipitation, rivers, streams, and water from melting glaciers. There are some major shorelines left by the lake The Provo and Bonneville shorelines of the lake can be seen as terraces or benches along many mountains in western Utah (which have trails that have been cut and prepared for day hikes or longer). The Stansbury shoreline and the Gilbert shoreline near the Great Salt Lake are less visable. Originally this lake had no rivers draining from it. The lowest outlet for the lake was Red Rock Pass in Idaho which had an elevation of about 5,090 feet. Approximately 16,800 years ago the lake rose to the pass elevation and began to flow north into the Snake River; the flow was so rapid through the pass causing a downcutting process that caused a catastrophic flood. Researchers believe that the flood probably lasted less than a year and lowered the outlet elevation 375 feet. Then the lake eventually dried up with the warming trend. Many little lakes were left from this massive lake, the largest being the Great Salt Lake. Fossils are found around the area periodically. Many of the most commonly found fossils are trilobites which are smaller prehistoric sea creatures. The animals that lived around the area of the lake during its time were all types of fish, amphibians, waterfowl, buffalo, horses, bears, rodents, deer, camels, bighorn sheep, musk oxen, and mammoths (one of these was dug up in Orem, Utah and is now on display in Salt Lake City at the Museum of Natural History). (Most the research for this information came from the Utah Geological Survey.) To log this cache, you must answer the following questions by e-mail: Question 1. What is the square millage of the lake according to the sign? Question 2. What is the marker number on the sign? Question 3. What kind of animals now live in the area?(Take a guess by looking around you, no sign for this).
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)