Warming Depleting Great Lakes

[Pats&Sox]

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Global warming will likely drain more water from the Great Lakes and pose added pollution threats to the region's vulnerable ecosystem, environmental groups said in a report issued on Wednesday.

Climate change could further reduce scant ice cover observed in recent winters, increasing evaporation rates and dropping water levels in the five lakes that collectively make up 20 percent of the world's surface fresh water.

Last year, Lake Superior water levels receded to their lowest in 77 years before rebounding, and the report by the Healing Our Waters-Great Lakes Coalition predicted global warming could lower lake levels by up to 3 feet (1 meter) over the next century.

The lower levels will hamper lake shipping, expose polluted sediments, and further damage water quality.

"Climate change is threatening the health of the Great Lakes and jeopardizing efforts to restore them," the coalition's Jeff Skelding said in a teleconference.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080529/us_nm/climate_greatlakes_dc

[PostmodernProphet]

Weekly Great Lakes Water Level Update for May 23, 2008


Weather Conditions: A dominant high pressure system over Canada led to cool conditions across the Great Lakes basin this week. At times, temperatures ranged from 10 – 15 degrees below average readings. Scattered showers also occurred as several small disturbances pushed through the region. Precipitation across the Great Lakes basin as a whole to date in May is near average. Warmer weather is on tap for the upcoming holiday weekend. Temperatures Sunday should reach well into the 70s.

Lake Level Conditions: Currently,Lake Superior is 14 inches higher than it was at this time last year.

http://www.lre.usace.army.mil/greatlakes/hh/greatlakeswaterlevels/waterlevelforecasts/weeklygreatlakeswaterlevels/

the site goes on to say that the lake is currently at mid-level....20 inches lower than its highest level (1986) and 19 inches higher than its lowest level (1926)

it is also predicting a net gain of 4 inches over the next month due to late snow storms.....

[Easy90]

"Last year, Lake Superior water levels receded to their lowest in 77 years before rebounding,..."

Gee..doesn't that sort of mean...77 years ago, the levels were...ah...lower? Did we have "global warming" then, too? What did we do to "fix" that? Raise taxes?

[PostmodernProphet]

then too, when one considers that my property, located about five miles from Lake Michigan, has a subsoil base consisting of sand, and that the Grand River, which currently is about 100 yards wide has a basin stretching nearly two miles across.....it might be assumed that the historical depth of the Great Lakes has been considerably deeper in the past.......

[Easy90]

then too, when one considers that my property, located about five miles from Lake Michigan, has a subsoil base consisting of sand, and that the Grand River, which currently is about 100 yards wide has a basin stretching nearly two miles across.....it might be assumed that the historical depth of the Great Lakes has been considerably deeper in the past.......

Very true!...and I'm convinced that if we don't do something in six months, to fix this problem, it will be too late, and within a decade, the great lakes will become known as the "less than great" lakes...drying up to mere salty, rubbish-filled ponds.

[PostmodernProphet]

Very true!...and I'm convinced that if we don't do something in six months, to fix this problem, it will be too late, and within a decade, the great lakes will become known as the "less than great" lakes...drying up to mere salty, rubbish-filled ponds.


couldn't be easier.....we just block up the St Lawrence River....then, after Niagra Falls turns into Niagra Rapids and Drummond Island becomes Drummond Shoals we'll be set.....of course, we may have to relocate everyone in Detroit to Windsor but sacrifices have to be made......by the Canadians........

[Easy90]

I've landed a small plane on the Drummond Island golf course...Long time ago. Vaguely recall the procedure was to fly down the fairway to warn golfers of your intention to land...and then come around and land. I think they've since built a hard surface runway next to the golf course.

[davo]

IIRC the average global temperature has actually been DECLINING over the past few years. Some parts are getting warmer, and some parts are getting colder. At least in the Sothern Hemisphere this is mostly the case.

Lower natural water levels in lakes are due to reduced rainfall, which either may or may not be due to temperatures.

In Victoria and Tasmania, Australia, the water levels of lakes has dropped as well, but the average temperature has actually declined over the past few years. I don't see how this can be linked to global warming

[Rage]

@op

Its a beautiful thing actually, I have heard scientists call it the water cycle.

You see water evaporates into the atmosphere, and then it condensates in the clouds. After much condensation it will soon accumulate in Cumulonimbus clouds and precipitate. I think that has been going on since earth had an atmosphere, could be wrong.

[PostmodernProphet]

Cumulonimbus

still illegal in 17 states......

[Rage]

Hmm, I don't get the pun?