Lake Superior
Lake Superior is the planet’s largest body of fresh water by surface area.
A little east of the middle of North America, Lake Superior (or gichigami in Ojibwe) is an inland sea containing 3-quadrillion gallons of water. That’s:
- 3,000,000,000,000,000 gallons (11.4-quadrillion liters)
- Enough to submerge North and South America under 1 foot of fresh water
- 10% of the world’s fresh surface water
- Over half of the water contained in the Great Lakes
Lake Superior is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface area and the third largest by volume. Scoured into its present form by the retreating glacial ice sheet covering the region during the last Ice Age (about 10,000 years ago), Superior’s cold waters are bounded by northern hardwood and conifer forests and buffeted by continental weather patterns. continued…
Newsletter Articles
Pulp Mill Effluent and Fish Don't Mix (Well)- August 2008
Lake Superior Feels the Heat: Climate Change Discussed at Conference- May 2008
Where did all the smelt go?- May 2008
Making a Great Lake Superior- December 2007
Superior Science News Debuts- December 2007
Low Lake Superior Water Levels- August 2007
Lake Superior Studies Point Out Problems With Using E. coli as an Indicator of Beach Contamination- August 2007
Quagga Mussel Population Found in Harbor- May 2007
Mysterious Lights Seen- May 2007
Lake Superior Holds Onto Her Dead…and Her Toxaphene
- February 2007
Unsolved Mystery: Lake Superior’s Missing Carbon
- October 2006
New Zealand Mudsnails Found in Duluth-Superior Harbor
- June 2006
Ice Cover Lacking on Lake- April 2006
All Plankton Great and Small- October 2005
- What Happened to the Taconite Tailings?
- June 2005
Listening to the Lake Airs on KUMD Radio- June 2005
Featured Articles
- Large Mayfly Hatch Prompts Public Concern
- Mayflies emerged by the thousands along the bay side of Park Point during the summer of 2007, sparking public fears of a fish kill.
- Superior Pursuit: Facts About the Greatest Great Lake
- Whether you visit Minnesota's North Shore or live there year-round, Lake Superior is a constant source of wonder.
- Lake Superior Water Levels
- Lake Superior is currently (2007) at a near-record low for its water level.
- The Mystery of the Missing Smelt
- Many factors have been playing into the fluctuation of the smelt population.
- Lake Superior's Physical Characteristics
- Despite Lake Superior’s massive size, it only manages to support a limited amount of aquatic life.
- Lake Superior's Natural Processes
- The lake has a significant impact on patterns. There are also several interesting physical processes that take place in the lake.
- Humans & Lake Superior
- Lake Superior’s basin has a significantly lower population, but it’s home to the Great Lakes’ largest port, Duluth-Superior.
- Rip Currents: Escape the Grip of the Rip!
- About rip currents on the Great Lakes and what you need to know to enjoy the beach safely
See Also:
Sea Grant Files- A radio program and podcast about the latest Sea Grant activities in Minnesota.
- Superior Science News
- A radio series about Lake Superior research.
Links:
Great Lakes Aquarium- Features animals and habitats found within the Great Lakes Basin.
