The Great Lakes are the largest group of freshwater lakes in the world

Most freshwater lakes are located in high mountains or fairly inland areas, with no obvious river inflows and outflows, and the water salinity in freshwater lakes is very low. So what are the five largest freshwater lakes in the world? Learn more about them below.

The Five Great Freshwater Lakes

The Five Great Lakes are the collective name for the five connected lakes between the United States and Canada. From top to bottom, they are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron. , Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The basins of the Great Lakes are mainly carved by glaciers. During the Quaternary Ice Age, the Great Lakes region was close to the center of the Labrador and Keewatin continental glaciers. The ice sheet was 2,400 meters thick and extremely erosive. The weak rock formations in the original low-lying valleys were gradually eroded by the glaciers and expanded. It became the lake basin it is today. When continental glaciers retreat, ice water accumulates in glacial depressions, forming the waters of the Great Lakes.

The world’s unparalleled group of freshwater lakes? The Great Lakes are the collective name for five connected large lakes located in the northeastern United States and bordering Canada. From upstream to downstream, they are Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, with a total area of ??24.52 million square kilometers, vast and endless as far as the eye can see, thus gaining the title of "Mediterranean Sea on the North American Continent". title. Except for Lake Erie, all lakes are below sea level, and Lake Ontario is 150 meters below sea level. The average depth of the lake is 99 meters, exceeding the North Sea (94 meters); the total water storage capacity is approximately 2.21 million cubic kilometers. The lake level gradually decreases from west to east, and finally flows from Lake Ontario through the St. Lawrence River into the Atlantic Ocean. Lake Superior, located in the uppermost reaches, is the largest freshwater lake in the world, with an area of ??82,400 square kilometers and a water storage capacity equal to that of the five Great Lakes. More than half.

Lake Superior

Lake Superior (Lake Superior) is the northwestmost and largest of the five Great Lakes in North America. Canada is to the northeast of the lake and the United States is to the southwest. The lake is 616 kilometers long from east to west and 257 kilometers at its widest point from north to south. The lake has an average altitude of 180 meters, a water area of ??82,103 square kilometers, and a maximum depth of 405 meters. The water storage capacity is 12,000 cubic kilometers. Nearly 200 rivers flow into the lake, with the Nipigon and St. Louis rivers being the largest. The main islands in the lake are Isle Royale (one of the United States National Parks), Apostle Islands, Michipicoten Island and St. Ignace Island. There are many woodlands along the lake, beautiful scenery and sparse population. The water quality of Lake Superior is clear, the lake surface is windy and rough, and the lake area is cold in winter and cool in summer. Seasonal fishing, hunting and tourism are the main projects of the local entertainment industry. Contains a variety of minerals. There are many natural harbors and artificial harbours. The main ports are Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Taconet, Duluth, Marquette, etc. The annual navigation period is 8 months. The lake was discovered by French explorers in 1622. The name of the lake is taken from the French, which means "upper lake".

Lake Huron

Lake Huron is the second largest lake among the five Great Lakes in North America. It extends from northwest to southeast, with a length of 331 kilometers and a maximum width of 163 kilometers. The lake area is 59,570 square kilometers. It is fed by Lake Superior, Lake Michigan and numerous rivers. The lake drains from its southern end into Lake St. Clair next to Detroit. The lake is 176 meters above sea level and has a maximum depth of 229 meters. There are many islands in the northeast. The main economic activities in the lake area are logging and fishing. There are many tourist areas along the lake. The navigation season is from the beginning of April to the end of December. The main ports are Bay City, Rockport, Roger City, Sarnia, Alpena, etc. Lake Huron was the first lake discovered by Europeans and was named after the Huron Indians.

Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan (Lake Michigan), also called Lake Michigan, is the third largest lake among the five Great Lakes in North America and the only lake that belongs entirely to the United States. The northern part of the lake is connected to Lake Huron, with a length of 517 kilometers from north to south and a maximum width of 190 kilometers. The lake basin area is nearly 120,000 square kilometers and the water area is 57,757 square kilometers. The lake surface is 177 meters above sea level, the deepest is 281 meters, and the average water depth is 84 meters. The storage capacity is 4875 cubic kilometers and the lake shoreline is 2100 kilometers long. There are about 100 small rivers flowing into it, and there are many islands at the northern end, with Beaver Island being the largest. There are cliffs eroded by lake waves along the shore of the lake. There are many sand dunes on the southeast coast, especially the sand dunes in the Indiana National Lakeshore and State Park. The lake area has a mild climate, and most of the lake shores are summer resorts. The fruit-producing area on the east coast is quite famous, and the north coast has many winding bays. There are many trout and salmon in the lake, and the fishing industry is prosperous. Chicago at the southern end is an important industrial city and has many ports such as Gary, Muskegon, Green Bay, Milwaukee, Grand Rapids, and Travis. The harbor freezes from mid-December to mid-April of the following year, impeding navigation. However, the lake is rarely completely frozen, and there are ferries between several ports throughout the year.

Lake Erie

Lake Erie (Lake Erie) is the fourth largest lake among the five Great Lakes in North America. It is bounded by the United States to the east, west and south, and Canada to the north. The lake area is 25,667 square kilometers. Trending from northeast to southwest, it is 388 kilometers long and 92 kilometers wide at its widest point. The lake has an altitude of 174 meters, an average depth of 18 meters, and a maximum depth of 64 meters. It is the shallowest of the five Great Lakes, with a total length of 1,200 kilometers of shoreline.

Many rivers, such as the Detroit River, Huron River, and Rio Grande River, flow into it, and the lake water is drained from the east end through the Niagara River. The islands are concentrated at the western end of the lake, with Pelee Island in Canada being the largest. On the northwest coast is Point Pelee National Park (Canada). The main ports include Buffalo, Erie, Cleveland, Ashtabula, Toledo, etc. in the United States. The industrial zone along the lake once led to the closure of many lakeside tourist areas, but environmental damage was brought under control in the late 1970s.

Lake Ontario

Lake Ontario is the easternmost and smallest of the Great Lakes in North America. It is bounded by Canada to the north and the United States to the south. It is roughly oval-shaped, with the main axis measuring 311 meters from east to west. kilometers, 85 kilometers at its widest point. The water surface is about 19,554 square kilometers, the average depth is 86 meters, the deepest is 244 meters, and the water storage capacity is 1,688 cubic kilometers. It is fed by the Niagara, Genesee, Oswego, Black and Trent rivers, and is connected to Lake Erie via the Welland Canal and the Niagara River. The famous Niagara Falls connects Lake Erie at the top and Lake Ontario at the bottom. The height difference between the two lakes is 99 meters. The lake flows from the east end into the St. Lawrence River. The north of Lake Ontario is an agricultural plain, and industry is concentrated in the port cities of St. Catharines, Toronto, Rochester, Kingston, etc. The harbor is closed to navigation from December to April of the following year.