The Great Lakes

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The Great Lakes The Great Lakes Brandon Dunn, Kate Thometz, Vince Amicon Brandon Dunn, Kate Thometz, Vince Amicon

description

The Great Lakes. Brandon Dunn, Kate Thometz, Vince Amicon. H uron O ntario M ichigan E rie S uperior. Largest group of fresh water lakes worldwide Borders United States and Canada Used today as major source of transportation. THE GREAT LAKES. GEOLOGIC HISTORY. - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Transcript of The Great Lakes

Page 1: The Great Lakes

The Great The Great LakesLakes

Brandon Dunn, Kate Thometz, Vince Amicon Brandon Dunn, Kate Thometz, Vince Amicon

Page 2: The Great Lakes

Huron

Ontario

Michigan

Erie

Superior

Page 3: The Great Lakes

THE GREAT LAKESTHE GREAT LAKES

• Largest group of Largest group of fresh water lakes fresh water lakes worldwideworldwide

• Borders United Borders United States and CanadaStates and Canada

• Used today as Used today as major source of major source of transportationtransportation

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GEOLOGIC HISTORY GEOLOGIC HISTORY

• Formed as a result of the Ice Age 10,000 Formed as a result of the Ice Age 10,000 years agoyears ago

• The Lauren tide Glaciation melted with The Lauren tide Glaciation melted with rising temperatures and dug a whole in rising temperatures and dug a whole in the Earth’s crust the Earth’s crust

• The water from the glacier filled the holes The water from the glacier filled the holes and became the Great Lakesand became the Great Lakes

• Due to erosion, many small mountains Due to erosion, many small mountains formed the present-day Great Lake Islands formed the present-day Great Lake Islands

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Lake Superior Lake Superior

Largest of the great lakes in area and volume.Largest of the great lakes in area and volume.

Contains 10 percent of the worlds fresh water Contains 10 percent of the worlds fresh water supply. supply.

Lake Superior was formed 1.1 to 1.2 billion Lake Superior was formed 1.1 to 1.2 billion years ago during the Mid-continent Rift.years ago during the Mid-continent Rift.

For over 2 million years, thick flows of lava For over 2 million years, thick flows of lava (flood basalts) repeatedly broke up the (flood basalts) repeatedly broke up the

surface.surface.

During extended periods between these flows, During extended periods between these flows, the crust sank downward, creating a basin the crust sank downward, creating a basin that accumulated sediments until the cycle that accumulated sediments until the cycle began again with the next flood of molten began again with the next flood of molten

lava.lava.

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Lake MichiganLake Michigan

• The third largest of the lakes and The third largest of the lakes and sixth largest freshwater in the world.sixth largest freshwater in the world.

• 3,200 miles of shoreline, the longest 3,200 miles of shoreline, the longest of any state but Alaska of any state but Alaska

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Lake HuronLake Huron

• Lake Huron is the second largest Great Lake Huron is the second largest Great Lake by surface area and the fifth largest Lake by surface area and the fifth largest freshwater lake in the world. freshwater lake in the world.

• Huron was the first of the Great Lakes to Huron was the first of the Great Lakes to be discovered by European explorers. be discovered by European explorers.

• Lake Huron is surrounded by forest life Lake Huron is surrounded by forest life and still has many rich natural resources.and still has many rich natural resources.

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BackgroundBackground

• The Great Lakes is a group of The Great Lakes is a group of five freshwater lakes in five freshwater lakes in central North America. It central North America. It creates a natural border creates a natural border between the United States between the United States and Canada.and Canada.

• It is the largest body of It is the largest body of freshwater in the world, with a freshwater in the world, with a combined surface area of combined surface area of 95,000 sq mi.95,000 sq mi.

• From west to east the lakes From west to east the lakes are Lake Superior, Lake are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.Erie, and Lake Ontario.

• The distance from the western The distance from the western end of Lake Superior, to the end of Lake Superior, to the outlet of Lake Ontario is 1,160 outlet of Lake Ontario is 1,160 mi. mi.

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How the lakes were formedHow the lakes were formed

• The Great Lakes were formed The Great Lakes were formed approximately at the end of approximately at the end of the Pleistocene period, when the Pleistocene period, when the glacier-carved lake basins the glacier-carved lake basins were filled with melt water were filled with melt water from the retreating ice sheet. from the retreating ice sheet.

• The lakes are connected to The lakes are connected to each other by straits, short each other by straits, short rivers, and canals. rivers, and canals.

• The height above sea level of The height above sea level of the lake surfaces varies from the lake surfaces varies from Lake Superior's 602 ft, to Lake Superior's 602 ft, to Lake Ontario's 246 ft; Lake Ontario's 246 ft;

• The greatest sudden drop The greatest sudden drop occurs at Niagara Falls 167 ft occurs at Niagara Falls 167 ft between lakes Erie and between lakes Erie and Ontario. Ontario.

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Rock FormationsRock Formations

• As the glaciers receded their As the glaciers receded their leading edges left behind high leading edges left behind high ridges and incredible rock ridges and incredible rock formations. formations.

• There were 8-12 ice ages that There were 8-12 ice ages that formed these incredible rock formed these incredible rock formations like the one formations like the one pictured are the right.pictured are the right.

• The last glacier began to melt The last glacier began to melt around 14,000 years ago. The around 14,000 years ago. The melting water filled the huge melting water filled the huge holes left by the glaciers. holes left by the glaciers.

• The lakes were originally The lakes were originally much larger than they are much larger than they are now. But as more ice melted now. But as more ice melted the St. Lawrence river the St. Lawrence river revealed itself as an outlet to revealed itself as an outlet to the Atlantic Ocean and so the the Atlantic Ocean and so the lake levels dropped to their lake levels dropped to their current levelscurrent levels..

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Great Lakes GeologyGreat Lakes Geology

• Both molten lava and Both molten lava and glaciers shaped the glaciers shaped the shorelines and inland lands shorelines and inland lands of the great lakes.of the great lakes.

• The giant columns of the The giant columns of the palisades are an example palisades are an example of solidified lava.of solidified lava.

• The northwestern section The northwestern section of lake superior is known of lake superior is known as Isle Royale National Park as Isle Royale National Park and is a prime example of and is a prime example of the differences between the differences between the molten lava landscape the molten lava landscape and the glacier landscape. and the glacier landscape.

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Great Lakes GeologyGreat Lakes Geology

• The Isle Royale’s southern shoreline is made up of reddish sedimentary rocks deposited during a long pause in the retreating of the last glacier from Isle Royale, approximately 11,000 years ago.

• The shores are flat similar to those of sandy beaches in many tropical areas.

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Great Lakes GeologyGreat Lakes Geology

• The northern The northern shoreline of the Isle shoreline of the Isle Royale is Royale is composed of rocky composed of rocky bluffs that are a bluffs that are a prime example of prime example of the cutting of the the cutting of the glaciers through glaciers through the earths crust.the earths crust.

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Destructive ErosionDestructive Erosion

• A current problem with A current problem with many great lakes many great lakes shorelines is erosion.shorelines is erosion.

• In the picture to the left In the picture to the left is a picture of a house is a picture of a house that has fallen into the that has fallen into the water as a result of the water as a result of the earth below the house earth below the house being eroded away by being eroded away by the continual beating of the continual beating of the waves on the loose the waves on the loose shoreline. shoreline.

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Beach ErosionBeach Erosion

• Beach erosion is also a Beach erosion is also a problem that many problem that many great lakes shorelines great lakes shorelines have.have.

• Beaches are very Beaches are very important to the important to the ecology of the lakes.ecology of the lakes.

• The great lakes The great lakes environment depends environment depends greatly on the beach greatly on the beach shoreline and would shoreline and would be dramatically be dramatically different without them.different without them.

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Transportation ErosionTransportation Erosion

• Another type of erosion Another type of erosion that has caused many that has caused many problems is that to problems is that to roadways along the roadways along the shorelines of many of shorelines of many of the great lakes.the great lakes.

• To the left is a picture To the left is a picture of a roadway that has of a roadway that has collapsed due to collapsed due to erosion from erosion from underneath the underneath the pavement.pavement.

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ReferencesReferences

• http://www.great-lakes.net/tehttp://www.great-lakes.net/teach/ach/

• http://http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/www.lre.usace.army.mil/

• http://www.great-lakes.net/http://www.great-lakes.net/• http://www.glsc.org/http://www.glsc.org/• http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/

atlas/atlas/• http://www.michigan.gov/http://www.michigan.gov/

deq/0,1607,7-135-deq/0,1607,7-135-3311_4112_4233-3311_4112_4233-9336--,00.html9336--,00.html

• http://www.uwgb.edu/http://www.uwgb.edu/dutchs/glkhist/glkhist0.htmdutchs/glkhist/glkhist0.htm

• http://geology.about.com/od/http://geology.about.com/od/lakes/lakes/