Lower Slide Lake - Stock-Fotografie

The Gros Ventre Slide is one of the largest and most significant landslides in North American history. It occurred on June 23, 1925, in the Gros Ventre Mountains and resulted in the formation of Slide Lake. The slide was triggered by a combination of geological, hydrological, and weather-related factors. Over time, erosion and weakening of the sandstone layer made the overlying rock mass unstable. In the spring of 1925, a period of intense snowmelt and rainfall saturated the sandstone, making the ground less stable. This added weight and water pressure contributed to destabilizing the rock layers. Minor earthquakes are believed to have been a contributing factor in dislodging the massive rock slab that eventually slid down the slope. On that June day, an enormous section of the north slope of Sheep Mountain, about 50 million cubic yards of rock, soil, and trees, broke loose and slid down into the valley below. The slide traveled over 2 miles, creating a massive debris field that was about 1,000 feet wide and 225 feet deep in some places. When the debris from the slide reached the valley floor, it completely dammed the flow of the Gros Ventre River, which resulted in the formation of what is now called Slide Lake. The natural dam created by the debris was about 200 feet high. Over the next several months, water backed up behind the dam, forming a lake that covered about 3 miles of the valley. The initial landslide caused minimal damage. Two years later, on May 18, 1927, a portion of the natural dam collapsed, releasing a massive flood downstream. This flood devastated the small town of Kelly, located downstream of the slide area, killing six people and destroying many homes. Slide Lake remains, although it is smaller than it was right after the landslide. Slide Lake is in the Bridger Teton National Forest near Jackson, Wyoming, USA.