How deep is Lake Erie? How was it named? Information about Ohio’s Nice Lake and its cousins

Until you’re somebody with a deep (pun supposed) fascination with the world’s our bodies of water, it could be a problem to fathom simply how far down they will go.

You may fish on the Great Lakes, go boating, swim, and partake in water sports activities, all of the whereas having fun with the spectacular views they provide. However how deep is each? You’d need to dive tons of of ft under the floor to succeed in the underside of every. What number of tons of of ft, although? And the way can we really perceive how deep?

And, as all of us bear in mind studying as youngsters, they are often recalled by the acronym H-O-M-E-S (Huron-Ontario-Michigan-Erie-Superior).

The Great Lakes:

• account for 94,250 sq. miles of water.

• account for 84% of North America’s floor recent water.

• Maintain 21% of the world’s provide of floor recent water.

Lake Erie laps away in northern Ohio and is the eleventh largest lake on the planet. Listed here are some info in regards to the Nice Lakes.

Lake Erie

• Common depth: 62 ft

• Most depth: 210 ft

• Measurement: 9,910 sq. miles

• Shoreline: 871 miles, together with islands

• Named for: A close-by Native American tribe

Lake Erie is the eleventh largest lake on the planet and the fourth-largest Nice Lake in floor space, however the smallest by quantity. About 95 p.c of its influx comes through the Detroit River from the higher Nice Lakes. It’s the warmest and most biologically productive of the Nice Lakes.

Apparently, Lake Erie was simply named the No. 1 Finest Lake in USA TODAY’s 2024 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. “It could be the shallowest of North America’s Nice Lakes, however Lake Erie has an enormous quantity of potential in the case of each tourism and outside journey,” 10Best mentioned. “Buffalo, Cleveland, and Toledo are only a few of the storied cities that may be explored alongside the Erie shore, whereas recreation alternatives vary from fishing to bird-watching to shipwreck diving.”

Lake Erie was additionally named the No. 3 lake for swimming in one other ballot for USA TODAY’s 2024 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.

“With tons of of miles of shoreline to discover between each Canada and the US, the sprawling Lake Erie is rife with sandy seashores to swim alongside,” 10Best mentioned. “Headlands Seashore State Park [in Mentor] is a well-liked bathing vacation spot for Ohio residents, whereas Pennsylvanians can take a dip on the scenic Presque Isle State Park (throughout the hotter months, at the least).”

Lake Erie is available in on the shallowest of the Nice Lakes and the smallest by quantity, with 115.2 cubic miles of water.

It is the shallowest and the smallest of the Nice Lakes, however greater than 10 million U.S. residents stay alongside its shoreline, in keeping with the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Ecosystem Status.

Lake Superior

• Common depth: 483 ft

• Most depth: 1,332 ft

• Measurement: 31,700 sq. miles

• Shoreline: 2,726 miles, together with islands

• Named for: The French known as it le la superior, which implies “higher lake.”

With its measurement, Lake Superior may comprise the entire different Nice Lakes plus three extra lakes the scale of Lake Erie.

It boasts all of the superlatives: Of the 5 Nice Lakes, it’s the largest, deepest and the coldest. Its depth is rather less than the peak of Chicago’s Willis Tower, by a couple of hundred ft or so. It additionally holds by far essentially the most water of the 5 lakes, with 2,903 cubic miles of water.

Lake Superior was simply named No. 3 in USA TODAY’s 2024 10Best Readers’ Selection Awards for the Finest Lake.

“Measuring in at a staggering 31,700 sq. miles, Lake Superior has the biggest floor space of any freshwater lake on planet Earth,” 10Best mentioned. “This colossal physique of water performs host to an enormous array of native marine life, together with lake sturgeon, yellow perch, and walleye, whereas human settlements across the area span from Canada’s Thunder Bay to the scenic Michigan Higher Peninsula metropolis of Marquette.”

Lake Superior was additionally named No. 5 in USA TODAY’s 2024 10Best Readers’ Selection Awards for the Lake for Swimming.

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“With 31,700 sq. miles of lake to discover, the colossal Lake Superior is provided with greater than its fair proportion of swimming spots unfold alongside the Canada and United States shores,” 10Best mentioned. “Although each tends to swing in the direction of the colder aspect, locations like Agate Seashore, Wisconsin Level, and Wild Goose Seashore all supply some welcome reduction from the summer season warmth.”

Lake Michigan

• Common depth: 279 ft

• Most depth: 925 ft

• Measurement: 22,300 sq. miles

• Shoreline: 1,638 miles, together with islands

• Named for: Initially known as Grand Lac, Lac des Puants (Lake of the Stinking Individuals after close by Native American tribes), Lac des Illinois (after the close by Native American tribe), Lac St. Joseph and Lac Dauphin.

Lake Michigan is the second-largest of the Nice Lakes by quantity. The Environmental Safety Company estimates its most depth at about 925 ft — roughly the peak of Cleveland’s Key Tower, Ohio’s tallest skyscraper. Lake Michigan additionally holds 1,180 cubic miles of water, second of the 5 Nice Lakes.

Lake Michigan is the third-largest Nice Lake by floor space and the sixth-largest freshwater lake on the planet. It’s the solely Nice Lake completely inside the US.

The lake’s northern portion is within the colder, much less developed higher Nice Lakes area, whereas its extra temperate southern basin incorporates the Milwaukee and Chicago metro areas. The drainage basin, roughly twice as giant because the 22,300 sq. miles of floor water, consists of parts of Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Wisconsin.

Lake Michigan was simply named No. 4 in USA TODAY’s 2024 10Best Readers’ Selection Awards for the Finest Lake.

“Perched alongside the borders of Illinois, Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan, the aptly named Lake Michigan serves as the biggest lake on Earth to reside solely in a single nation,” 10Best mentioned. “Along with attractive pure websites like Indiana Dunes Nationwide Park and Sleeping Bear Dunes Nationwide Lakeshore, the Lake Michigan coast is lined with dazzling cities like Inexperienced Bay, Milwaukee, and Chicago, providing guests a possibility to mix outside journey with city exploration throughout their journeys.”

Lake Michigan was additionally named No. 6 in USA TODAY’s 2024 10Best Readers’ Selection Awards for the Lake for Swimming.

“It is all the time slightly chilly, even within the top of summer season, however for these prepared to courageous the low temperatures, Lake Michigan is ideal for a refreshing dip,” 10Best mentioned. “For Chicago guests, North Avenue Seashore is a very full of life spot for a swim, whereas locations exterior town vary from Indiana Dunes Nationwide Park to Michigan’s Sleeping Bear Dunes Nationwide Lakeshore.”

Lake Ontario

• Common depth: 283 ft

• Most depth: 802 ft

• Measurement: 7,340 sq. miles

• Shoreline: 712 miles, together with islands

• Named for: It comes from the French explorer Champlain, who known as it Lac St. Louis. Later, it was often called Lac Frontenac. “Ontara” in Iroquois means “lake.” “Ontario” means “lovely lake.”

The easternmost Nice Lake, Lake Ontario is the second-smallest of the 5 by quantity (about 390 cubic miles of water), however because the downstream lake, it’s most affected by human actions going down in Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie and Michigan, per the EPA. The utmost depth of Lake Ontario is simply north of 800 ft.

Lake Ontario is the 14th largest lake on the planet, however the smallest of the Nice Lakes in floor space. It lies 325 ft under adjoining Lake Erie, on the base of Niagara Falls.

Lake Huron

• Common depth: 195 ft

• Most depth: 750 ft

• Measurement: 23,000 sq. miles

• Shoreline: 3,827 miles, together with islands

• Named for: A close-by Native American tribe. A 1656 map known as it Karegnondi.

Lake Huron is the second-largest Nice Lake by space and the third-largest by quantity and boasts the longest shoreline of the checklist. As for its depth, Lake Huron is 750 ft deep — say, about 750 Subway sandwiches under sea stage. It holds 850 cubic miles of water.

Lake Huron is the fifth-largest freshwater lake on the planet. Canada’s Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron is the biggest freshwater island on the planet. Georgian Bay in Lake Huron, additionally on the Canadian aspect of the border, is itself giant sufficient to be listed among the many 20 largest lakes on the planet.

Hydrologists, nevertheless, contemplate the Michigan and Huron lakes inseparable as they’re joined by the Straits of Mackinac.

This text initially appeared on Detroit Free Press: Lake Erie and the Great Lakes: Sizes, depths, origin of names, more