Fig. 1. The Lake George region. THE ANNUAL EMPTYING OF LAKE GEORGE, ALASKA*

• Main Author: Kirk H. Stone
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Anchorage; Lake George; Arctic; glacier; Alaska
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.559.987; http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic16-1-26.pdf

N EAR the middle of south-central Alaska lies one of the world’s largest ice-dammed lakes. This is Lake George, of interest to many because it empties naturally each year. Such a phenomenon has led to speculation about its cause and for decades has attracted attention on account of the resulting floods that often are destructive. Yet, by 1951 the characteristics of the lake were still little known and observations were begun to procure data for analytical studies. Lake George was found to be a hatchet-shaped body of water that filled in early summer to become about 2 to 4 miles wide, 11 to 12 miles long, and 114 feet deep. In 12 days during mid-summer this became three small and shallow lakes. It is intended that the description and partial interpretation of the emptying will provide a basis for further research on the process and on the glaciological history of the lake basin. Regional and site characteristics Lake George is situated on the northern side of the Chugach Mountains of south-central Alaska, about 45 miles east of Anchorage (Fig. 1). When emptying the water flows into the southeastern corner of the Matanuska Valley, south of the city of Palmer, where the floods require special protective measures at the bridges of the Alaskan highway and railroad systems. The lake occupies a valley that extends to the southwest from the western end of Knik Glacier. The northwestern corner of the lowland is about 230 feet above sea-level and the walls of its valley on the eastern and western sides are a slate-like bedrock with slopes of 20 to 30 degrees