A U.S. Army Reserves Chinnok helicopter from Ft. The first surveys to determine the depth of Crater Lake were made in 1886, again in 1938-40, and most recently in 1959. The 1959 survey used echo-sounding technology, measuring the time taken to bounce sound off the lake floor, to collect depth information at over 6,000 locations. As the boat moves along, more than 30 million depth soundings will be collected. This information can help scientists identify the materials that make up the lake floor, such as rock, sand, or mud.
New data can shed light on the volcanic history hidden by the waters of Crater Lake.
Since the first bathymetric maps and dredge haulings were completed dozens of years ago, scientists have sought to determine the nature and timing of vents and landslides that are hidden beneath the water of Crater Lake. Most of what we know today comes from the 1959 bathymetry, dredge samples, submarine video, and samples collected by submarine from the lower caldera walls. Scientists hope the new, detailed, bathymetry study will shed light on certain submerged volcanic landforms and may even lead to the discovery of a new vent. A similar project from this collaborative effort is the Lake Tahoe bathymetry . Mapping Crater Lake, July 2000 .