Probing the Depths of Crater Lake: During much of its 100 years of National Park status, this national treasure saw little scientific study, despite significant environmental threats
Larson DW. 2002. Probing the Depths of Crater Lake: During much of its 100 years of National Park status, this national treasure saw little scientific study, despite significant environmental threats. American Scientist. 90(1):64-71
Crater Lake in Oregon is the second deepest lake in N. America and among the continent's clearest. Made a National Park in 1902, the lake received surprisingly little scientific attention until the early 1980's. In 1978, the author and a colleague observed that the Lake's water clarity had diminished, possibly caused by sewage incursion and associated phytoplankton growth. Intensive study through the 1980's did not conclusivly establish the cause of claity loss, but a suspect sewage disposal facility was finally removed in 1991. Since then , water clarity has improved to historic levels.
- Type
- Journal Article
- Authors
- Larson, Douglas
- Units
- CRLA
- Keywords
- Cascade Range, Depth, Mount Mazama, Oregon, Thermal gradients, Volcano