Pleasure boats can enter or exit the Great Lakes by way of the Erie Canal and Hudson River in New York. The international boundary between the United States and Canada is also shown on the map - note how it crosses the lakes. Since general freight these days is transported by railroads and trucks, domestic ships mostly move bulk cargoes, such as iron ore, coal and limestone for the steel industry. The Greatest Lakes The largest lake in the world by a long shot is the Caspian Sea - a name that hints at a past when it was contiguous with the ocean around 11 million years ago. Among the most primitive of all vertebrate species, the sea lamprey is a . [65], The Great Lakes: An Environmental Atlas and Resource Book (1972) notes: "Only pockets remain of the once large commercial fishery. Other answers have suggested some ways of classifying things into seas or lakes, which are good guides, but inevitably there are exceptions to all of them. But many species remain a mystery", Recovery of Lake Erie Walleye a Success Story, Historical Perspecivie Of The Phosphate Detergent Conflict, "Large Lake Erie algal bloom nearing Colchester tested for toxicity", "Lake Erie Water Quality Past Present and Future", "14th Biennial Report on Great Lakes Water Quality", New Report: Solving Region's Sewage Crisis Will Create Jobs, Restore Great Lakes, "Antidepressants are finding their way into fish brains", "U of T researchers discover microplastics in all samples of Great Lakes fish", "Industrial plastic is spilling into Great Lakes, and no one's regulating it, experts warn", "How a fleet of robots could help solve the Great Lakes plastic pollution problem", "Monitoring algal blooms in the Great Lakes Basin", "Evidence for early hunters beneath the Great Lakes", "Great Lakes Fleet Page Vessel Feature Burns Harbor", Lake Champlain, The Sixth Great Lake? Sure, the Great Lakes are a lot cleaner than they were back in the 1960s, when a Cleveland newspaper pronounced Lake Erie dead due to the huge amount of industrial and agricultural pollution and . Ocean pollution and marine debris | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Sailing On A Lake Vs Ocean: 6 Differences | Life of Sailing This designation is not universal. The low point for the blocking land between the two seas is 27m above sea level. The largest postglacial lake, Nipissing, occupied the basins of Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Photosynthesis carried out by diatoms constitutes about one fifth of the total photosynthesis.[where?] They hold about 90% of the freshwater in the United States and approximately 20% of the world's freshwater supply. the High German "See" means simply "large body of water", which is quite typical for cultures that didn't live close to the sea - they either used the same name, or imported/created a better name later, e.g. In 2007, the Great Lakes Shipwreck Historical Society announced that it had found the wreckage of Cyprus, a 420-foot (130m) long, century-old ore carrier. Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Here Are 5 Beautiful Beaches That Feel Like Oceans In Michigan @jamesqf We as a species are trying very hard to make that happen! From a geological point of view, the two are very different. By taking CO2 out of the water to photosynthesize, diatoms help to stabilize the pH of the water, as CO2 would react with water to produce carbonic acid. Fortunately, at that point, no country was powerful enough to force everyone to go ahead with that plan - and by the time they were, it was far easier (and faster) to just conquer the rest of Europe and start a massive genocide. [30] Some of these lakes even have their own islands, like Treasure Island in Lake Mindemoya in Manitoulin Island. Hydrologically, lakes Michigan and Huron are a single body joined at the Straits of Mackinac. The large lakes are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. [51] The Great Lakes coast measures approximately 10,500 miles (16,900km);,[14] but the length of a coastline is impossible to measure exactly and is not a well-defined measure. A contemporary account by Methodist missionary John Evans describes the fish as resembling a "bright cloud moving rapidly through the water".[111]. The lakes are divided among the jurisdictions of the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. states of Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York. Crater Lake, Oregon Winter Scene at Crater Lake, Oregon. It is estimated that nearly 40 million people in the region rely on drinking water from the Great Lakes. [113] The Detroit and Cleveland Navigation Company had several vessels at the time and hired workers from all walks of life to help operate these vessels. [100] There is a positive correlation between the surface area and the chlorophyll concentration of diatom cells.[101]. [87][86], Until 1970, mercury was not listed as a harmful chemical, according to the United States Federal Water Quality Administration. The process is only well-documented in the Great Lakes, and has been credited with sparing the southern shorelines from worse rocky erosion.[53]. "[62], By 1801, the New York Legislature found it necessary to pass regulations curtailing obstructions to the natural migrations of Atlantic salmon from Lake Erie into their spawning channels. Related to the lake effect is the regular occurrence of fog, particularly along the shorelines of the lakes. Except when the water is frozen during winter, more than 100 lake freighters operate continuously on the Great Lakes,[123] which remain a major water transport corridor for bulk goods. The East Antarctic Ice cap OTOH has about 60m of sea level rise in it; roughtly double what'd be needed to flood the Caspian basin. [93] Plastics in the water break up into very small particles known as microplastics. There is also some shipping of liquid and containerized cargo. Remember that old German project to dry up the Mediterranean? The Dead Sea in the Middle East isn't called "Dead" for nothing it is too salty for aquatic life! Great Lakes - Wikipedia Why did US v. Assange skip the court of appeal? No matter your sailing style, these water bodies are excellent if you want to spend a day, a weekend, or even months sailing. [116] The Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve serves as an underwater museum to protect the many shipwrecks in this area. The brigantine Le Griffon, which was commissioned by Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, was built at Cayuga Creek, near the southern end of the Niagara River, and became the first known sailing ship to travel the upper Great Lakes on August 7, 1679. Only barges can access the Illinois Waterway system providing access to the Gulf of Mexico via the Mississippi River. [29] Both of these islands are large enough to contain multiple lakes themselvesfor instance, Manitoulin Island's Lake Manitou is the world's largest lake on a freshwater island. The main business of many of the passenger lines in the 19th century was transporting immigrants. It is also one of the worlds largest bodies of fresh water. This massive saline lake, which is nearly the same size as Japan, borders five countries: Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, and Iran. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. This corresponds to thinking of lakes Erie and Ontario as "down south" and the others as "up north". In addition, the mussels may be a nuisance to industries by clogging pipes. "Meer"). While the majority of the world considers them lakes and they were historically a lake (really, the rivers and small lakes in that area connecting them are so small in comparison that it is basically 1 body of water), the Erie canal has since then connected the lakes to the St. Lawrence River. The Great Lakes are a chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising the lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. In fact, some lakes, such as the Great Salt Lake in Utah, are saltier than the oceans. Grain exports are also a major cargo on the lakes. Map of the Great Lakes - Geology As the ice sheet melted and receded about 14,000 years ago, the first segments of the Great Lakes were created. Has the cause of a rocket failure ever been mis-identified, such that another launch failed due to the same problem? Lake Superior, bordered by Ontario, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, is the northernmost and . No, the Saint Lawrence River has. Since many immigrants settled for a time in New England before moving westward, many areas on the U.S. side of the Great Lakes also have a New England feel, especially in home styles and accent. [52] Traversing the shoreline of all the lakes would cover a distance roughly equivalent to travelling half-way around the world at the equator. Anyone who completes the journey is then named an official ' Looper .' The Erie Canal connects to the Great Lakes at the east end of Lake Erie (at Buffalo, New York) and at the south side of Lake Ontario (at Oswego, New York). The glaciers undoubtedly scoured these valleys, widening and deepening them and radically changing the drainage of the area. The largest loss of life in a shipwreck out on the lakes may have been that of Lady Elgin, wrecked in 1860 with the loss of around 400 lives on Lake Michigan. Correction is in order here. [102][103] The peoples of the Great Lakes traded with the Hopewell culture from around 1000 AD, as copper nuggets have been extracted from the region and fashioned into ornaments and weapons in the mounds of Southern Ohio. 491 likes, 15 comments - Plastic Pollution Coalition (@plasticpollutes) on Instagram on September 15, 2021: " Nurdles are toxic plastic pellets that come from . Plot a one variable function with different values for parameters? Several rivers, tributaries, and manmade canals connect the lakes and provide a major transportation route that links the inland areas with the Atlantic Ocean.It is estimated that more than 85 million people reside in the Great Lakes Megalopolis region, including some human settlements along the St . The present configuration of the Great Lakes basin is the result of the movement of massive glaciers through the mid-continent, a process that began about one million years ago during the Pleistocene Epoch. And one of the differences is the wave periods and steepness. Concerns over diversion of Lake water are of concern to both Americans and Canadians. Viking Ocean ; Great Lakes Collection excursions Announcing Our 2023 Cruisers' Choice Award Winners! Ontario is the most tightly regulated, with its outflow controlled by the Moses-Saunders Power Dam, which explains its consistent historical levels. The names of the five Great Lakes are Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie, and Superior. [106] With these two canals an all-inland water route was provided between New York City and New Orleans. Ocean Connections is fortunate to be located in Milwaukee, WI near one of the world's great freshwater resources, Lake Michigan. Chase (Unsplash: Link) Water in the Great Lakes comes from thousands of streams and rivers covering a watershed area of approximately 520,587 square kilometres (or 201,000 square miles). They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? Also note that Ontario is separated from Erie (and hence the upper lakes) by the Niagara River and a 167 ft/51 m waterfall. I really wonder about people that think they're not like the ocean. Microplastics can also come from synthetic clothing washed down our drains. On December 13, 2005, the Governors and Premiers signed these two agreements, the first of which is between all ten jurisdictions. This page was last edited on 25 April 2023, at 15:18. The Great Lakes are also in question, to me at least. Please select which sections you would like to print: Director, Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Ann Arbor, Michigan. The Wisconsin Fisheries Commission noted a reduction of roughly 25% in general fish harvests by 1875. [14] Meanwhile, exotic and invasive species have also been introduced. As the depth decreases, there might be some expansion of the surface area, but that's mostly temporary - it increases the evaporation rate without increasing the inflow, so water is lost over time. [82], Phosphate detergents were historically a major source of nutrient to the Great Lakes algae blooms in particular in the warmer and shallower portions of the system such as Lake Erie, Saginaw Bay, Green Bay, and the southernmost portion of Lake Michigan. [10] The lakes have been a major source for transportation, migration, trade, and fishing, serving as a habitat to many aquatic species in a region with much biodiversity. Browse other questions tagged, Start here for a quick overview of the site, Detailed answers to any questions you might have, Discuss the workings and policies of this site. Baraka Farrington/Google. One of the more common sights on the lakes has been since about 1950 the 1,000-by-105-foot (305 by 32m), 78,850-long-ton (80,120-metric-ton) self-unloader. Worldwide, hundreds of marine species have been . In the late 1960s, the various state and federal governments began stocking several species of salmonids, including the native lake trout as well as non-native chinook and coho salmon; by the 1980s, alewife populations had dropped drastically. [89] The International Joint Commission in 2009 summarized the change: "Since the early 1970s, the level of treatment to reduce pollution from waste water discharges to the Great Lakes has improved considerably. Algae such as diatoms, along with other phytoplankton, are photosynthetic primary producers supporting the food web of the Great Lakes,[97] and have been affected by global warming. Marine debris. This visualization compares the size of the Great Lakes | World Together, they constitute the greatest freshwater system on Earth, covering an area larger than Texas and about half the size of Alaska. Are the Great Lakes Connected? - History The production, consumption, and throwing away of plastics seems to remain the core of Great Lakes trash problem.[96]. An international ferry across Lake Ontario from Rochester, New York, to Toronto ran during 2004 and 2005 but is no longer in operation. [110], Alan B. McCullough has written that the fishing industry of the Great Lakes got its start "on the American side of Lake Ontario in Chaumont Bay, near the Maumee River on Lake Erie, and on the Detroit River at about the time of the War of 1812". The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total area and are second-largest by total volume, containing 21% of the world's surface fresh water by volume. The Great Lakes | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The Great Lakes - WorldAtlas Although a drop of lake water may contain 1million bacteria cells and 10million viruses, only since 2012 has there been a long-term study of the lakes' micro-organisms. At one high-water stage, the waters of the Huron and Michigan basin formed one large lakeLake Algonquin. [121] There are no plans to raise her as the site is being treated as a war grave. The ongoing disaster striking the coastal communities of the Great Lakes hasn't captured national attention like hurricanes and wildfires in other parts of the country. Tourism and recreation are major industries on the Great Lakes. janetcbl. [104] During settlement, the Great Lakes and its rivers were the only practical means of moving people and freight. When a second fault line, the Saint Lawrence rift, formed approximately 570million years ago,[14] the basis for Lakes Ontario and Erie was created, along with what would become the Saint Lawrence River. On Friday, the Great Lakes Fire grew five times in size, from 7,000 to the current 36,000 acres. [56] Since the glaciers covered some areas longer than others, this glacial rebound occurred at different rates. The last glaciation in North America is called the Wisconsin Glacial Stage because it left many fresh landforms and sediments in that state. Major ports on the Great Lakes include Duluth-Superior, Chicago, Detroit, Cleveland, Twin Harbors, Hamilton and Thunder Bay. Sources/Usage: Public Domain. [14], Intensive human population growth began in the region in the 20th century and continues today. By the mid-1950s, the lake trout populations of Lakes Michigan and Huron were reduced, with the lamprey deemed largely to blame. [71] The ruffe, a small percid fish from Eurasia, became the most abundant fish species in Lake Superior's Saint Louis River within five years of its detection in 1986. Since the opening of the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway System in 1959, large cargo vessels can travel from the Atlantic Ocean to Duluth, Minnesota, on Lake Superior-the farthest-inland . [citation needed], Though contrary to federal laws in both countries, those treatment system upgrades have not yet eliminated combined sewer overflow events. Michigan has the longest shoreline of the United States, bordering roughly 3,288 miles (5,292km) of lakes, followed by Wisconsin (820 miles (1,320km)), New York (473 miles (761km)), and Ohio (312 miles (502km)). [35] The Great Salt Lake, in the U.S. state of Utah, is the largest saline lake in North America. The Great Lakes are a stunning feat of nature. In 1884, the New York Fish Commission determined that the dumping of sawmill waste (chips and sawdust) had impacted fish populations. An alternate track is via the Illinois River (from Chicago), to the Mississippi, up the Ohio, and then through the TennesseeTombigbee Waterway (a combination of a series of rivers and lakes and canals), to Mobile Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Other protective legislation was passed, but enforcement remained difficult. The age of the Great Lakes is still not definitely determined. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. The fishing industry expanded particularly in the waters associated with the fur trade that connect Lake Erie and Lake Huron. It is generally accepted that Lake Erie reached its present level about 10,000 years ago, Lake Ontario about 7,000 years ago, and Lakes Huron, Michigan, and Superior some 3,000 years ago. [88], The amount of raw sewage dumped into the waters was the primary focus of both the first Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and federal laws passed in both countries during the 1970s. It is a source of pride for both countries that there are no fortifications or warships along the boundary. Can the Great Lakes Become Fishable, Drinkable, and Swimmable Again? - NRDC The Great Lakes have been observed to help intensify storms, such as Hurricane Hazel in 1954, and the 2011 Goderich, Ontario tornado, which moved onshore as a tornadic waterspout. While historically, it might have been part of a sea, it is landlocked now so it would be more suited to call this the Caspian Salt Lake, thus making it the largest lake on Earth and also the largest saline lake. This is most noticeable along Lake Superior's shores. Sailors of bulk freighters transferring cargoes from Lake Superior and northern Lake Michigan and Lake Huron to ports on Lake Erie or Ontario commonly refer to the latter as the lower lakes and Lakes Michigan, Huron, and Superior as the upper lakes. The number of American adults who take anti-depressant drugs rose from 7.7% of all American adults in 19992002 to 12.7% in 20112014. While the spotlight on the sport tends to shine brighter on the oceans, here are 10 reasons why the Great Lakes are better. They are a dominant part of the physical and cultural heritage of North America. In an incident at a Chicago dock in 1915, the SSEastland rolled over while loading passengers, killing 841. Except for Lake Michigan, the lakes provide a natural border between Canada and the United States, a frontier that was stabilized by a boundary-waters treaty of 1909. New York and Wisconsin's jurisdictions extend into two lakes, and each of the remaining states into one of the lakes. The lakes drain roughly from west to east, emptying into the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence lowlands. The area of each rectangle is proportionate to the volume of each lake. Under customary international law as reflected in the 1982 Law o You are wrong WRT the Great Lakes. Great Lakes Waterway - Wikipedia https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Lakes, National Wildlife Federation - Great Lakes, North America, LiveScience - Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Great Lakes, Great Lakes - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Great Lakes - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up), Risk of severe storms persists from Texas to Great Lakes. Water Diversions. [61], The Great Lakes are an important source of fishing. Not coincidentally, this status allows neighboring states to apply for additional federal research and education funds allocated to these national resources. Although the Saint Lawrence Seaway and Great Lakes Waterway make the Great Lakes accessible to ocean-going vessels,[31] shifts in shipping to wider ocean-going container shipswhich do not fit through the locks on these routeshave limited container shipping on the lakes. Surrounding the Great Salt Lake are salt flats, areas where the lake has evaporated, leaving only stretches of white salt. Lakes and Reservoirs | U.S. Geological Survey The names bodies of water have are historical, so what they are called is down to what somebody saw fit to call them in the past - not any modern taxonomy. Stupid question about Great Lakes vs Ocean - Cruisers & Sailing Forums Both the province of Ontario and the state of Michigan include in their boundaries portions of four of the lakes: The province of Ontario does not border Lake Michigan, and the state of Michigan does not border Lake Ontario. Several species of exotic water fleas have accidentally been introduced into the Great Lakes, such as the spiny waterflea, Bythotrephes longimanus, and the fishhook waterflea, Cercopagis pengoi, potentially having an effect on the zooplankton population. The Great Lakes together form the western part of the St. Lawrence hydrographic system. Re: Stupid question about Great Lakes vs Ocean. The glaciers undoubtedly scoured existing valleys, widening and deepening them and radically changing the drainage of the area. Several species of crayfish have also been introduced that may contend with native crayfish populations. Many who see them for the first time say that just one actually looks like an ocean, they are so large across the horizon. Since that time, the eight Great Lakes Governors and the Premiers of Ontario and Quebec have negotiated the Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence River Basin Sustainable Water Resources Agreement[129] and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin Water Resources Compact[130] that would prevent most future diversion proposals and all long-distance ones. [66], Since the 19th century, an estimated 160 new species have found their way into the Great Lakes ecosystem; many have become invasive; the overseas ship ballast and ship hull parasitism are causing severe economic and ecological impacts. The lakes are prone to sudden and severe storms, in particular in the autumn, from late October until early December. [12] There are also several thousand smaller lakes, often called "inland lakes", within the basin.[13]. [98] The changes in the size or in the function of the primary producers may have a direct or an indirect impact on the food web. After railroads and surface roads developed, the freight and passenger businesses dwindled and, except for ferries and a few foreign cruise ships, have now vanished. Roads closed because of Croatan National Forest fire Because the lake maritime community largely developed independently, it has some distinctive vocabulary. The lakes tend to moderate seasonal temperatures to some degree but not with as large an influence as do large oceans; they absorb heat and cool the air in summer, then slowly radiate that heat in autumn. The Great Lakes contain about 20% of the world's freshwater. [69] Introductions into the Great Lakes include the zebra mussel, which was first discovered in 1988, and quagga mussel in 1989. Great Lakes, chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. In the post-glacial period, evaporation, and drainage have generally been balanced, making the levels of the lakes relatively constant. The weight of the ice sheet exerted enormous pressures on the Earths crust. They are either endorheic or have a sea-level (tidally-influenced) connection to the ocean. Concerns by the mid-19th century included obstructions in the rivers which prevented salmon and lake sturgeon from reaching their spawning grounds. The agreements strengthen protection against abusive water withdrawal practices within the Great Lakes basin. Page not found Instagram [10] The retreat of the ice sheet left behind a large amount of meltwater (Lake Algonquin, Lake Chicago, Glacial Lake Iroquois, and Champlain Sea) that filled up the basins that the glaciers had carved, thus creating the Great Lakes as we know them today. The Great Lakes are connected by close to 5,000 tributaries: a series of smaller lakes, rivers, streams, and straits flowing into larger bodies of water. Long Live the Laurentian Great Lakes - Eos It's clean and clear freshwater with waves and white sand, cold winters and hot summers" Most Great Lakes trade is of bulk material, and bulk freighters of Seawaymax-size or less can move throughout the entire lakes and out to the Atlantic. Marine debris is a persistent pollution problem that reaches throughout the entire ocean and Great Lakes. [112] In the first half of the 20th century large luxurious passenger steamers sailed the lakes in opulence. Great Lakes ecoregion - National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Lots of square waves. Published on July 28th, 2015. [72] Five years after first being observed in the St. Clair River, the round goby can now be found in all of the Great Lakes. As one "sea" they would share a common surface elevation, but they do not. Studies in the Lake Superior region indicate that a river system and valleys formed by water erosion existed before the Ice Age. The Great LakesSuperior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontarioform the largest surface of freshwater in the world, comprising more than 94,250 square miles (244,106 square kilometers) of east-central North America.
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