Outburst Floods from Glacial Lake Missoula
Document Type
Article
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Quaternary Research
Volume
22
Publication Date
1984
First Page
289
Last Page
299
Abstract
The Pleistocene outburst floods from glacial Lake Missoula, known as the “Spokane Floods”, released as much as 2184 km3 of water and produced the greatest known floods of the geologic past. A computer simulation model for these floods that is based on physical equations governing the enlargement by water flow of the tunnel penetrating the ice dam is described. The predicted maximum flood discharge lies in the range 2.74 × 106−13.7 × 106 m3 sec−1, lending independent glaciological support to paleohydrologic estimates of maximum discharge.
Recommended Citation
Clarke, G.K.C., Mathews, W.H., and Pack, R.T. 1984. Outburst floods from Glacial Lake Missoula. Quaternary Research, v.22, p.289-299.