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This page presents the physical characteristics of the Great Lakes, especially
their basin, with respect to water quantity. A basin is the area that a
lake or river drains. The term may also apply to the depression that actually
holds the water of the lake.
The water system involved in the Great Lakes starts in Lake Superior and ends at the St. Lawrence River. Lake Superior is the highest above sea level, 183 meters or about 602 feet, and has the longest retention time for water, about 200 years, while Lake Erie is the shallowest of the lakes, the lowest in elevation, and has fast flow-through time of two to three years. Retention time is the length of time for the amount of water in a lake to be completely replaced. |
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1. How fast is water moving through the
Great Lakes and how long is
it retained in each lake? 2. How does retention time of a lake relate to the influence of water pollution? Compare Lake Erie and Lake Superior from this perspective. 3. There is usually motion (waves) on the water, but sometimes no motion (ice) can be found. What factors impact ice coverage on the Great Lakes? |
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No specific materials regarding the Great Lakes basin are available now at OSG. |
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1. The Great Lake Erie
2. Earth Systems - Education Activities for Great Lakes Schools Climate and Water Movement
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Relief, Drainage and Urban Areas From Great Lakes Environmental Atlas |
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1. Lake Erie Facts and Figures http://www.great-lakes.net/refdesk/almanac/lakes/eriefact.html 2. River Basins/Watersheds by Minnesota Pollution Control Agency http://www.pca.state.mn.us/water/watershed.html 3. Factors Affecting Great Lakes-St. Lawrence System Flows http://www.great-lakes.net/envt/water/flowfact.html 4. Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis (Latest) http://coastwatch.glerl.noaa.gov/cwdata/lct/glsea.gif |
