Giant Springs of Great Falls EarthCache
Giant Springs of Great Falls
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Giant Spring was first discovered by Lewis & Clark in 1805 and is one of the largest fresh water springs in the United States.
Giant Springs is the main attraction of Giants Springs State Park. As you visit here you will learn about this magnificent spring. Geologists have determined that water seeps into the ground southeast of Great Falls in the Little Belt Mountains, where the Madison Limestone formation is exposed at the land surface. The water then travels through the Madison Formation which consists of sediment laid down during the Mississippian Period of the Paleozoic Era (roughly 350 million years ago). It was laid down over most of Montana, eastern Idaho, northern Wyoming, and the Dakotas. The Madison is between 1,000 and 2,000 feet thick throughout most of the Montana; however in the springs area the Madison Formation is much lower. Pressure caused by the overlying rock layers forces the water from the Madison to escape upward, through the cracks in the overlying sandstone. These cracks are visible here at the springs. 150 million gallons of water flow from Giant Springs, forming the headwaters of the world's shortest river. A successful campaign to get the River recognized by the Guinness World Records as the shortest river in the world originated from students at Lincoln Elementary School in Great Falls, Montana.
To log this Earthcache please e-mail the answers to the following questions (The answers can be found on the informational signs nearby. Please do not post answers in your log.) Or optionally you may post a picture of you with the Springs in the background, preferably from the overlook deck.
1. In the springs area how many feet below the surface is the Madison Formation?
2. How many years does it take for the water to flow from the Little Belt mountains to the Giant Springs area?
3. What is the name of this river and how long is it?
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