Glacial Lake Helena

Provided by: Martin Richard
Summary authors & editors: Martin Richard

This remarkable photo of Glacial Lake Helena was created from fossilized photons. The view above shows the lake, in present day western Montana, at its maximum known extent, just prior to the breakup of the Big Sandy ice dam at the end of the last glaciation. The draining of Glacial Lake Helena was not nearly as catastrophic as that of the more famous Glacial Lake Missoula, and therefore few are aware of its former status. Rainbows occurred then as now, and this broad beauty meets the lake about where the town of Helena (Montana's capital), will be built.

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