LAKE BONNEVILLE – 40KY OF SHORELINES EXPLAINED AND WHY THIS IS IMPORTANT

The Lake Bonneville shorelines have presented a confusing array of data. Researchers from G.K. Gilbert on have struggled trying to correlate level evidence in one part of the lake with another. This paper presents two theories which create a context in which nearly all of the Bonneville shorelines can be explained.

The first is the Earthquake-induced Surging Theory. This theory was first introduced in the 2020 and 2022 GSA Connects meetings. In this presentation the theory will be used to extend the level timeline of Lake Bonneville back to 40 kya. This theory has relevance to the study of hazards in areas of the world where fault lines run underneath lakes and oceans. It also clarifies the climate history of the Bonneville Basin and suggests a new relevance of the Heinrich episodes.

The second is the Isostatic Rebound Pop Seiche (IRPS) theory, which explains G.K. Gilbert’s ‘Intermediate Shorelines’ with a very surprising timeline twist. This second theory has relevance to areas of the globe where massive glacial lakes are forming with a warming climate.