Uncategorized

3008: A Great Lakes odyssey

We are all used to seeing pictures of the outline of the Great Lakes from space. Will that outline look the same for someone looking down from space 1000 years from now? That is highly unlikely.

Interns for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative have pulled together a possible outline map of the Great Lakes in 3008 – if the trends in water levels were to change in a pattern similar to that that has occurred over the past 30 years.

In the map, the current outline is shown in light blue; the dark blue shows what the lakes would look like in 3008.

The most dramatic change would be at the western end of Lake Erie and the connecting channels between Lake Erie and Lake Huron. Toledo would now be 75 kilometres distant from the shores of Lake Erie, and Detroit, Windsor, Sarnia and Port Huron would at most be along a minor stream.

Lakes Michigan and Huron would be the other lakes most severely changed. The southwestern end of Lake Michigan would have retreated 25 kilometres away from Chicago and Calumet Harbour.

The Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative carried out this exercise to show the significant potential effects that could result from the impacts of climate change on water levels in the Great Lakes and to show the potential impact of human-generated climate change on the Great Lakes.

For more information, contact Melissa Soline, program manager at the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Cities Initiative at melissa.soline@glslcities.org.

© 2008 Great Lakes News.