In the Northern Hemisphere, glacial lakes are the most common since thats where the large ice sheets were present. At one high-water stage, the waters of the Huron and Michigan basin formed one large lakeLake Algonquin. In Ohio alone, more than 68,000 birdwatching tourists drop by each spring to see the winged travelers arrive. A wide range of rock types and deposits are found in the Great Lakes because of their broad area and glacial origin. Finally, there's coral, which thrives in warm waters and can encrust itself all over submerged vessels. (And you complain about the commute on I-696!). With an area of 1,067 square miles (2,765 square kilometers), it's the largest island in the world that resides in a freshwater lake. Each of the lakes is on or near the US-Canada border and is essential to the ecology and economy of the region. Many of these vessels are almost perfectly preserved. This process took about 7,000 years! One nice byproduct of weather is the abundance of wineries around Lakes Michigan, Erie and Ontario. Millions of hawks, geese and other birds take biannual pit stops in the Great Lakes basin every year as part of their migration cycles. While we take the fresh water part of the lakes for granted, we also take their origins for granted. It is 350 miles (563 km) long (east to west), and at its greatest width it is 160 miles (258 km) from north to south. For a discussion of the system east of Lake Ontario, see Saint Lawrence River and Seaway. The glaciers undoubtedly scoured existing valleys, widening and deepening them and radically changing the drainage of the area. At the same time, Lake Duluth, in the western Lake Superior basin, also drained to the Mississippi. Individually, the lakes rank among the 14 largest in the world (see table). Eventually, drainage to the east and into the Atlantic Ocean was established, at one time down the valleys of the Mohawk and Hudson rivers and then along the course of the upper St. Lawrence River. Where does water in the Great Lakes originate? In order for glacial lakes to form, glaciers need to encroach upon the land and then eventually melt and recede. In fact, the ice age allowed humans to cross the exposed land bridge that extended from modern-day Russia to Alaska. So it's not surprising that the lakes contain an estimated 8,000 shipwrecks, with new ones being discovered on a regular basis. The lakes have not benefited from this development, however, and have been seriously affected by pollution. For metric system fans, that's 22.7 quadrillion liters. Put together, the five Great Lakes have 6 quadrillion gallons of it. He's been with WDIV since 2013. The chillier temperatures cause fruit trees to blossom later in the season. We take pride in our Great Lakes, but do you know how they originally formed? When a volcano becomes inactive, it can often collapse or fall in on itself. These massive bodies of water are closely connected and form one of the largest groups of freshwater lakes in the entire world. That's part of the reason why Ontario produces more wine than any other Canadian province. Updates? Together, these vast bodies of water enrich our world on countless fronts; here are five reasons why everybody should love them. Within moments a body of water is formed, creating a U-shaped lake known as an oxbow lake. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). Our editors will review what youve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. Lakes formed through this process are known as glacial lakes. Hint: Its ice cold. Great Lakes, chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. The end of the Last Glacial Period was around 11,550 years ago, and the Holocene, our current epoch, began. Take a look at this map breakdown showing the ice retreat and formation of the Great Lakes over thousands of years. When a particularly wet season floods the river, it can burst through its banks, causing the loops of the meander can connect. Together they hold almost 20 percent of the world's fresh surface water. Water and land have different relationships with heat. Either way, some of these newcomers are killing or out-competing the native species which is a huge problem. So in summary, a visitor could theoretically stand on a little island in a little lake that's on a big island in a big lake. Several game species like Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout were deliberately introduced. Estimates range from 7,000 to 32,000 years of age. And get this: Big old Manioulin has 108 lakes of its own some of which contain tiny islands. Uplift has continued at a rate of about 1 foot (30 centimetres) every 100 years; this is evidenced by the drowned river mouths of western Lakes Erie and Superior. About 18,000 years ago, the Laurentide glacier covered most of Canada and the Northern U.S. As the glacier moved, it flattened mountains and carved valleys. Drainage through the Ottawa River valley ceased, and outflow from the upper lakes was established by way of the St. Clair and Detroit rivers into Lake Erie. Some 97 percent of all the water on our planet is saltwater. They played a central role in the European colonization and development of North America and for decades have attracted people and industry; Lakes Erie and Ontario and the southern portion of Lake Michigan are now ringed with large population concentrations. The microclimate and loamy soil in those areas makes them well suited for viticulture. Some then fly as far north as the Arctic Circle or as far south as Argentina. It is a source of pride for both countries that there are no fortifications or warships along the boundary. Often, these lakes are quite large since glaciers themselves are large themselves. 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. You may know them as the Great Lakes. The influx generates $40 million annually for the Buckeye State's economy. Crater Lake in Oregon is an example of this formation and is currently one of the deepest (and prettiest) lakes in the world. The largest postglacial lake, Nipissing, occupied the basins of Huron, Michigan, and Superior. Conditions in the Great Lakes make it a lot easier for archaeologists to study shipwreck sites. There are also strict anti-looting laws which help prevent the artifacts on these ships from being stolen. Another method that occurs happens around active tectonic regions. Exactly how much water are we talking about here? As the ice sheet retreated, low-lying, glacially depressed areas, such as the region to the east of Georgian Bay, were exposed. The wetlands, forests and islands here are terrific places for the flyers to rest and feed before moving on. Other exotic fish, such as the sea lampreys, just snuck in. This is from the US Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District: Copyright 2020 by WDIV ClickOnDetroit - All rights reserved. All the more reason to keep them pollution-free. Another common form of lake is a manmade lake. Glacial clays and organic sediments occur in the deep areas. Although glacial lakes are one way that lakes are formed, it isnt the only way! Omissions? As a result, glaciers are able to slide forward, grinding and eroding land as they go. That's a lot of water, especially when, one in five people around the world don't have reliable access to safe drinking water. When springtime comes, the lake's temperature will rise more slowly than the land that surrounds it. The Caspian Sea is the largest lake in the world, despite it being filled with salt water. Water began filling the glacially scoured basins as soon as the ice receded, some 14,000 years ago. And most of the globe's freshwater supply is either frozen in glaciers or buried underground. The glaciers undoubtedly scoured these valleys, widening and deepening them and radically changing the drainage of the area. By comparison, water takes longer to warm up and cool down. The last ice age is known as the Last Glacial Period and lasted between 115,000 11,700years ago. Some of the largest lakes in the US are created using this method, including Lake Mead, Lake Powell, and Lake Oahe. This causes cooler summers and warmer winters than would otherwise occur in the region. How were the Great Lakes of North America formed? And 1000+ more incredible animals. The Great Lakes contain cold, fresh water. The fingerprints of koalas are almost indistinguishable from human fingerprints. As it melted, water filled the huge holes carved by the glacier. Copyright 2022 ClickOnDetroit.com is managed by Graham Digital and published by Graham Media Group, a division of Graham Holdings. In a period of warmth, they will then recede, allowing the troughs to be filled with meltwater. Fruits that don't tend to fare well up north can thrive by the Great Lakes. Technically the Great Lakes hold one-fifth of the world's fresh surface water. The Great Lakes modify the climate of the surrounding region by absorbing a large quantity of heat in the warmer months, which is then lost to the atmosphere during the colder months. But not all the fish are locals. He enjoys suffering through Lions games on Sundays in the fall. Their visits are a boon for cities and towns in the Great Lakes area. 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. They are one of the great natural features of the continent and of the Earth. 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. The fastest growing lakes are in Scandinavia, Iceland, and Russia, but their volume is relatively small compared to other regions. During that period of time, the global ice sheets had reached their maximum around 22,000 years ago. As the icy bulldozers went northward, they carved out deep troughs in the earth that later filled with water. Just about every type of boat or ship you can imagine from wooden canoes to mine-laying submarines has deployed on the Great Lakes at some point in time. Please copy/paste the following text to properly cite this HowStuffWorks.com article: The North American Great Lakes: Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario as seen from satellite. When a beaver creates a dam in a small river system, it can create large areas of stagnant water. When they had pulled back far enough to expose the land they had deeply carved, they began to melt, thereby filling the now lakes. It's a badly-needed resource. Adding them up, the Great Lakes contain about 21% of the entire earths surface freshwater. Incredibly, humans were around during the times that the Great Lakes were formed. Try birdwatching. The most common times for this to happen are during the ice ages. Ken Haddad is the digital content and audience manager for WDIV / ClickOnDetroit.com. The Great Lakes were formed when massive sheets of ice (glaciers) began receding. Five lakes make up the Great Lakes, including Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. On the shores of a large lake, this fact is readily apparent. Of these indigenous fish, none can match the lake sturgeon in size. "5 Reasons Why the Great Lakes Are So Great" The Great Lakes were formed near the end of the last ice age, roughly 14,000 years ago. It is also one of the worlds largest bodies of fresh water. Lake Chicago, in what is now the southern Lake Michigan basin, and Lake Maumee, in present-day western Lake Erie and its adjacent lowlands, originally drained southward into the Mississippi River through the Illinois and Wabash drainages, respectively. As a result, air around the coastline tends to be cooler than inland air every spring. The Great Lakes are among the most dominant features of the northern United States. Not into fishing? Although humans make lakes, beavers are also excellent terraformers. Other well-known species include the muskellunge, rock bass and northern pike. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. After the weight of the ice was removed, the land (i.e., the outlet to the lakes) began to rise, closing off some outlets and allowing the water levels of the lakes to slowly rise. The average annual rainfall in the Lake Superior basin is 30 inches (760 millimeters), 31 inches in Lakes Huron and Michigan, and 34 and 36 inches in Lakes Erie and Ontario, respectively. The weight of the ice sheet exerted enormous pressures on the Earths crust. With this amount of H2O, an aspiring supervillain could cover the contiguous United States in 10 feet (3 meters) of standing water. There are limestone outcrops and large deposits of sand and gravel, usually near shore. The last glaciation in North America is called the Wisconsin Glacial Stage because it left many fresh landforms and sediments in that state. You'd think this would hurt farmers who live by the shoreline, but it can actually help them. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. Corrections? The Great Lakes are a chain of deep freshwater lakes in east-central North America comprising the lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. Although Lake Baikal in Russia has a larger volume of water, the combined area of the Great Lakessome 94,250 square miles (244,106 square kilometres)represents the largest surface of fresh water in the world, covering an area exceeding that of the United Kingdom. This pattern is known as meandering, and can go on for miles. Some of the most famous lakes that have been formed through tectonic activity are the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal. Spiders that fly! https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Lakes, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency - Great Lakes, National Wildlife Federation - Great Lakes, North America, LiveScience - Great Facts About the Five Great Lakes, Great Lakes - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Great Lakes - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). Mark Mancini Please select which sections you would like to print: What lakes comprise the Great Lakes of North America? The Great Lakes receive their water supply from precipitation, which increases from west to east and from north to south. These lakes (often called reservoirs) are formed when humans dam up certain aspects of a river, backing the river up into a large pool behind it. Taken by the Sea: 11 Real-life Shipwrecks, Why North America's Lakes Are Getting Distressingly More Salty, Planet Observer/Universal Images Group/Getty Images, Special Offer on Antivirus Software From HowStuffWorks and TotalAV Security. Altogether, the surface area of these lakes measures 94,250 square miles, roughly the size of the state of Oregon (96,003 square miles). And this is to say nothing of the naval battles that broke out here during the War of 1812. Neat! Concern over the fate of the lakes reached a high pitch in the late 20th century, with both the U.S. and the Canadian governments and individuals investigating methods for reversing the consequences of years of misuse of the lakes waters. These lakes are created for hydroelectric power, water conservation, and more. Also, the ocean's home to shipworms that feast on wooden wrecks. About 10,000 years ago, the upper lakes evidently discharged through this area via the Ottawa River valley, and their levels were substantially reduced. (Although technically, Huron and Michigan are the same lake.) After the glacial maximum, the ice sheets started their slow retreat. However, that being said, there's still one big threat to the sunken vehicles: Invasive zebra mussels. It's estimated that the glacier was nearly 2.5 miles thick. Adult sturgeon can be more than 7 feet (2.13 meters) long and weigh 240 pounds (108 kilograms). Lake Baikal is the largest freshwater lake in the world by volume. During the early stages of the ice age, homo sapiens were primarily relegated to the warm regions of the earth. One reason why the Great Lakes are so important is they harbor 20 percent of all the liquid water on Earth's surface. Knowing how big they are, the next step for many is to wonder how they were made! Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. How Were the Great Lakes Formed and How Long Ago. Lake Superior is the largest of the five Great Lakes of North America. Thinking about the creation of these giants is mind-boggling, but it had to happen at some point! About 14,000 years ago, things began to warm and the Laurentide glacier started to melt. The Great Lakes were born when glaciers receded from this part of the world at the end of the last ice age. There's no place like H.O.M.E.S. US Army Corps of Engineers Detroit District. Lets get started! These faults are then filled by rivers, oceans, or even rain. Learn more about us & read our affiliate disclosure. As a result, apples, peaches and other fruits are less likely to get killed by sudden frosts. Thankfully, science has some answers for us. As the ice retreat continued, Lake Maumee was drained into Lake Chicago through a valley that now contains the Grand River in Michigan.