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Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

atlasobscura.com

121–130 of 222 posts

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#121

Earlier quoted context omitted.

By act of Congress, not Constitutional amendment. It could be repealed in a matter of weeks if Congress saw fit.

I know many people who would oppose removal of water from the region with weaponry. People deeply care about them, more than outsiders know

We will desalinate in CA before we’ll come for the Great Lakes but if we came (and the United States must have ended) then that would be a petty resistance. Pipelines can’t be defended but canals are harder to break and then, once the pipeline is over friendly soil, breaking it will still only shed water into the West.

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#122
post #114

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I believe a lot of it is ultimately fed by hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of smaller lakes upstream. The Canadian Shield is dotted with gazillions of lakes, it's crazy to fly over it. And I think it's safe to assume most of those lakes are glacial remnant water, not sure if they're fully refreshed by rain and snow.

I know it's the internet and facts are as real as birds, but just in case you want some: [0]. [0] https://www.lre.usace.army.mil/Missions/Great-Lakes-Informat...

That's a pretty unecsscesary footnote

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#123

We are blessed in Ontario to have the first and second longest freshwater beaches in the world. On Lake Huron’s Georgian Bay and Lake Huron proper respectively. Nothing recharges your batteries like a day in the sun, by the great un-briny. A few clandestine cans of beer, a fruit salad and a little bit of the sticky green stuff: heaven.

The water is so unbelievably clear. And believably cold.

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#125
post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> In this climate change age The Great Lakes only exist because the massive ice sheet melted and left the lakes as a deposit some 10-15,000 years ago. I wouldn’t be surprised if in a few thousand years the lakes largely dissipate. That said I grew up near the lake, definitely something that’s awesome to live near

The Great Lakes will eventually go away, but not for the reason you think. Niagara Falls is eroding its way upstream and will eventually reach Lake Erie, at which point Lakes Erie, Huron, and Michigan will all drain away downstream.

That will just make Lake Erie and Lake Ontario merge, more or less. Why would it drain Michigan at all?

This is old, but it's also possible that niagara falls just stops being falls and stops moving upstream: https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/gsabulletin/article-abs...

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#127
post #104

All things considered, there's a sweet spot looming for the Great Lakes. Maybe in 100-125 years. I'm not saying it's a not a wonderful area now, just that it's going to be epic fairly soon. For a while, anyway.

Are we meant to guess what you're hinting about?

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#128
post #127
post #104

All things considered, there's a sweet spot looming for the Great Lakes. Maybe in 100-125 years. I'm not saying it's a not a wonderful area now, just that it's going to be epic fairly soon. For a while, anyway.

Are we meant to guess what you're hinting about?

Right about that same time fresh water will be like gold, and eventually the lakes will either be dry or drain into the sea.

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#129
post #32

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I guess. I don’t miss them and always thought they were cold and smelly and didn’t make for great beaches. The weather around them is awful as well with long, bitter cold winters and summer days that are often extremely humid. You can’t really eat the fish out them either due to high levels of mercury. Additionally the land around the lakes is nice but not spectacular. At least not for North America. If I were to pla…

Chicago local here, and Lake Michigan kitesurfer and surfer. The best swells hit when in the fall and spring, so you better have a good wetsuit. That said, since getting into the sports it makes me love the lake even more. You quickly get over the temp, and just get to enjoying the water. Its also nice to not have to worry about sharks! Some of the best surfing in the area is up in Sheboygan, WI, the Malibu of the Mi…

I practically live in Lake Michigan in Chicago, because of my dog, and learning to embrace the cold means you get the beauty of seeing this huge, open expanse of water with nobody else around, because they are sane and are avoiding the cold.

https://perardi.info/photography/0.jpg

https://perardi.info/photography/9.jpg

Re: Are the Great Lakes really inland seas?

#130

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't know about the southern shore of Erie, but the Canadian side has Long Point, Rock Point, Port Dover, Turkey Point, and Burwell. They're all amazing and the water is shallow enough to be pretty family friendly as well as warming up quickly in the early summer.

Yeah I've been to those, Long Point in particular is amazing.

It's so gorgeous, and it's awesome that there's a big stretch of public beach with cottages on it (many of which are rentable) but then there's also the provincial park there that has a whole other section of shoreline— you have to pay to access it, but the bathrooms are nicer and there's more parking.
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