The Great LakesHOMES

❖ Huron❖ Ontario❖ Michigan❖ Erie❖ Superior

Geography

○The Great Lakes - Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario - are a dominant part of the physical and cultural heritage of North America.○Shared with Canada and spanning

more than 750 miles (1,200 kilometers) from west to east, these vast inland freshwater seas provide water for consumption, transportation, power, recreation and a host of other uses.○The Great Lakes are the largest

surface freshwater system on the Earth. Only the polar ice caps contain more fresh water.

Lake Superior

Lake Superior○ the largest by volume○ the deepest and coldest○ retention time = 191 years (a measure based

on the volume of water in the lake and the mean rate of outflow)

○ Most of the Superior basin is forested, with little agriculture because of a cool climate and poor soils.

○ Sparse population○ Relatively few pollutants enter Lake Superior,

except through airborne transport

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan○ the second largest○ the only Great Lake entirely within the

United States○ variable climate, population density and

development○ northern part: colder, less developed,

sparsely populated○ southern basin: more temperate, among

the most urbanized areas in the Great Lakes system.

Lake Huron

Lake Huron○ the third largest by volume○ vacation homes on the shallow, sandy

beaches of Huron and along the rocky shores of Georgian Bay

○ Saginaw River basin is intensively farmed○ Flint and Saginaw-Bay City metropolitan

areas.○ Saginaw Bay contains a very productive

fishery

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario○ second smallest by volume○ average depth 283 ft. (86m)○ retention time = 6 years (a measure

based on the volume of water in the lake and the mean rate of outflow)

○ urban industrial centers (Hamilton and Toronto) on the Canadian side

○ U.S. shore is less urbanized, not intensively farmed

Lake Erie

Lake Erie○ the smallest by volume○ warms rapidly in the spring and summer○ frequently freezes over in winter○ average depth is only about 62 ft. (19m)○ the western basin (about 20% of the lake), is very shallow with

an average depth of 24 ft. (7.4m)○ retention time = 2.6 years (a measure based on the volume of

water in the lake and the mean rate of outflow)○ most of the area around the lake is urban or agricultural.