The Great Lakes Formation

Front

What percentage of the world's drinking water is stored in the Great Lakes?

Back

1/5 of the world's drinking water.

Front

How do the Great Lakes affect the weather in North America?

Back

They are so vast they make their own weather, preventing a large part of North America from becoming arid.

Front

How much water do the Great Lakes contain?

Back

Enough to flood the continental United States 9 ft deep.

Front

Which is the deepest of the Great Lakes?

Back

Lake Superior, over 1300 ft deep.

Front

Which lakes provide drinking water for over 10 million people in Chicago and Detroit?

Back

Lake Michigan and Lake Huron.

Front

What is the significance of Niagara Falls between Lake Erie and Ontario?

Back

At its peak, over 40 million gallons flow over the falls every minute, providing electricity to roughly 5 million homes.

Front

What geological feature on Kelly's Island provides clues to the formation of the Great Lakes?

Back

Strange grooves in the ancient rock, some more than 15 ft deep and 400 ft long.

Front

What are the three potential forces considered for carving the Great Lakes?

Back

Volcanism, water, and ice.

Front

Why was volcanism ruled out as the force that carved the Great Lakes?

Back

The presence of tiny coral fossils, which would have been destroyed if lava had formed the grooves.

Front

Why was running water ruled out as the force that carved the Great Lakes?

Back

The grooves run almost perpendicular to the fractures in the rock, suggesting another force was at work.