Laws, Robert R. Bidigare, John E. Dore, et al., Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, (1998), Effect of Phytoplankton Cell Geometry on Carbon Isotopic Fractionation, Vol. This corresponds to thinking of lakes Erie and Ontario as "down south" and the others as "up north". This page was last edited on 15 January 2021, at 14:31. A large bloom does not necessarily mean the cyanobacteria ... will produce toxins", said Michael McKay, of the University of Windsor. The Great Lakes also have several peninsulas between them, including the Door Peninsula, the Peninsulas of Michigan, and the Ontario Peninsula. [76] Five years after first being observed in the St. Clair River, the round goby can now be found in all of the Great Lakes. [114], The catch from these waters would be sent to the growing market for salted fish in Detroit, where merchants involved in the fur trade had already gained some experience handling salted fish. [100] There is a positive correlation between the surface area and the chlorophyll concentration of diatom cells. In fact, two major suppliers of fish in the 1830s were the fur trading companies Hudson's Bay Company and the American Fur Company. Other protective legislation was passed, as well, but enforcement remained difficult. The names of the great lakes are Lake Superior, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie. [55], The Great Lakes coast measures approximately 10,500 miles (16,900 km);,[14] but the length of a coastline is impossible to measure exactly and is not a well-defined measure (see Coastline paradox). As the slightly warmer, moist air passes over the colder land surface, the moisture often produces concentrated, heavy snowfall that sets up in bands or "streamers". However, the names of other four lakes have Native American origins, to some degree. Snow belts are found in Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York, United States; and Ontario, Canada. Except when the water is frozen during winter, more than 100 lake freighters operate continuously on the Great Lakes,[115] which remain a major water transport corridor for bulk goods. The Great Lakes Waterway connects all the lakes; the smaller Saint Lawrence Seaway connects the lakes to the Atlantic oceans. Not coincidentally, this status allows neighboring states to apply for additional federal research and education funds allocated to these national resources. [42] The water level of Lake Michigan–Huron had remained fairly constant over the 20th century[43] Recent lake levels include record low levels in 2013 in Lakes Superior, Erie, and Michigan-Huron,[44] followed by record high levels in 2020[45] in the same lakes. Mercury compounds have been used in paper mills to prevent slime from forming during their production, and chemical companies have used mercury to separate chlorine from brine solutions. This form of mercury is not detrimental to a majority of fish types, but is very detrimental to people and other wildlife animals who consume the fish. The lakes are also very sensitive to pollutants. Lakes Huron and Michigan are sometimes considered a single lake, called Lake Michigan–Huron, because they are one hydrological body of water connected by the Straits of Mackinac. Lake Superior is the largest of the five lakes by volume, and it is also the deepest and the coldest. The Great Lakes are the source of food, transportation, and drinking water for millions living in Canada and the United States. To learn more Great Lake place names, explore our map. Those living on the shore of Lake Superior often refer to all the other lakes as "the lower lakes", because they are farther south. 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 Great Lakes are connected by the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal to the Gulf of Mexico by way of the Illinois River (from the Chicago River) and the Mississippi River. [6][7][8][9], The Great Lakes began to form at the end of the Last Glacial Period around 14,000 years ago, as retreating ice sheets exposed the basins they had carved into the land, which then filled with meltwater. Logging, urbanization, and agriculture uses have changed that relationship. Lake Algonquin, large glacial lake that once existed in North America and covered most of the area now occupied by three Great Lakes (Superior, Michigan, and Huron). These fish are all long and somewhat serpentine in appearance, and may account for some of the ‘monster’ sightings. So, interestingly, only Lake Superior, has the English version of the original French name – Lac Superiour. Gwyn Photography/Photographer's Choice RF/Getty Images. The fishing industry expanded particularly in the waters associated with the fur trade that connect Lake Erie and Lake Huron. The lakes are prone to sudden and severe storms, in particular in the autumn, from late October until early December. System of large interconnected freshwater lakes in North America, This article is about the Great Lakes of North America. [105] By 1848, with the opening of the Illinois and Michigan Canal at Chicago, direct access to the Mississippi River was possible from the lakes. An Indian name for Lake Superior was "Kitchi gami" (or "Kitchi-gummi"). This temperature buffering produces areas known as "Fruit Belts", where fruit can be produced that is typically grown much farther south. Description: This map shows lakes, cities, towns, states, rivers, main roads and secondary roads in Great Lakes Area. [75] 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. In 2002, 162 million net tons of dry bulk cargo were moved on the Lakes. The greatest concentration of shipwrecks lies near Thunder Bay (Michigan), beneath Lake Huron, near the point where eastbound and westbound shipping lanes converge. Tourism and recreation are major industries on the Great Lakes. Grain exports are also a major cargo on the lakes. The Great Lakes are used to supply drinking water to tens of millions of people in bordering areas. The water level in Lake Ontario has remained relatively constant in the same time period, hovering around the historical average level. The Great Lakes Restoration Initiative, described as "the largest investment in the Great Lakes in two decades",[135] was funded at $475 million in the U.S. federal government's Fiscal Year 2011 budget, and $300 million in the Fiscal Year 2012 budget. A contemporary account by Methodist missionary John Evans describes the fish as resembling a "bright cloud moving rapidly through the water".[114]. [10] The retreat of the ice sheet left behind a large amount of meltwater (see 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. A similar phenomenon allows wineries to flourish in the Finger Lakes region of New York, as well as in Prince Edward County, Ontario on Lake Ontario's northeast shore. To easily remember their names, think of the word HOMES - it is made up of the first letter of each lake. [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. What Are the Steps of Presidential Impeachment? The main business of many of the passenger lines in the 19th century was transporting immigrants. This effect can be very localized and overridden by offshore wind patterns. First we memorized the names of the Great Lakes (Superior, Huron, Ontario, Michigan, Erie) and then we used the mnemonic SHO ME (pronounced "show me") to remember their locations. By taking CO2 out of the water, to photosynthesize, diatoms help to stabilize the pH of the water, as otherwise CO2 would react with water making it more acidic. Water Diversions. Köppen climate classification Dfa (in southern areas) and Dfb (in northern parts)[61] with varying influences from air masses from other regions including dry, cold Arctic systems, mild Pacific air masses from the West, and warm, wet tropical systems from the south and the Gulf of Mexico. Of the total 10,500 miles (16,900 km) of shoreline, Canada borders approximately 5,200 miles (8,400 km), while the remaining 5,300 miles (8,500 km) are bordered by the United States. All measurements at Low Water Datum. 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). Reference Map of the Great Lakes. great lakes A group of five large interconnected lakes in central North America that consist of lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, and constitute the largest area of fresh water in the world. More on Lake Superior The rest are partially in Canada and the USA. Mercury has been known for health related problems such as birth defects in humans and animals, and the near extinction of eagles in the Great Lakes region. They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth. Public outcry forced the company to abandon the plan before it began. In 1996 a rare tropical or subtropical storm was observed forming in Lake Huron, dubbed the 1996 Lake Huron cyclone. Lake Superior Its name is merely a reflection of its huge size - 82,100 square km and 12,100 cubic km, but probably also of its posi Sanson improved upon Champlain’s map (and dismantled the “Grand Lac” belief—aka the idea that Lake Michagan and Superior were cojoined and formed a massive lake) by using Jesuit accounts of the area, in addition to observations made by Aboriginals, Étienne Brûlé, and Jean Nicollet. How Does the 25th Amendment Work — and When Should It Be Enacted? [116] The iron ore and much of the stone and coal are used in the steel industry. [34] The second-largest island is Isle Royale in Lake Superior. Possible schemes for bottled water plants and diversion to dry regions of the continent raise concerns. Federal and state regulations control substances like PCBs. The Great Lakes are the largest surface freshwater systems on Earth and contain roughly 21 percent of the world water supply. In the 19th century and early 20th centuries, iron and other ores such as copper were shipped south on (downbound ships), and supplies, food, and coal were shipped north (upbound). Concerns over diversion of Lake water are of concern to both Americans and Canadians. "Evolution of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement", Paul Muldoon and Lee Botts, Michigan State University Press, 2005, Burkhardt Steffen, Amoroso Gabi, Riebesell Ulf, Sültemeyer Dieter, (2001), CO. Brian N. Popp, Edward A. They are lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario and are in general on or near the Canada–United States border. 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