Some known facts about Lake Superior….
Lake Superior is the biggest of the five Great Lakes, and
also the deepest, it is the largest freshwater lake in the world by surface
area….Lake Superior is the third largest freshwater lake in the world by volume..
How did the lake get its name?
Time to take a trip back in
time…..We head for the 17th Century …..Lake Superior was called Lac
Tracy by the Jesuit Missionaries, it was also called Lac Superieur during this
time frame….In the 1760s time frame following the French and Indian war the
lakes name was changed to Superior, and has remained that way through the present
time….The Ojibwe Tribe called the lake Gichigami. Which today is still called
that by the old timers, as I had the great experience in talking with some throughout
my trips up there. Some people have wrote the name as Gitiche Gumee, which most
of us know….
So how big and deep is Lake Superior?
Time to take a very
long walk and a very deep dive into this matter……
Lake Superior has roughly a Surface area of 31,700 miles……
The average depth is around 480 feet….The deepest part of Lake Superior is
roughly 1,332 feet. This is near Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore...
How cold is Lake Superior?
As with many lakes the Surface temps varies a lot….However
when we reach depths down to around 600 feet Superior maintains temps around 39
degrees (F) Right now has of this writing the surface temps on Superior are
running from about 65 to 67 across the lake. All lakes throughout the area mix
out two times a year, this is also known as dimictic…Lake Superior also does
this…..It is later than other lakes…..Takes longer to heat up and takes longer
to cool down….As a rule Lake Superior will mix out in the late spring to early
summer, then again in the late fall to early winter….This is also highly dependent
on the how cold or warm the atmosphere is and for how long it is in that state…What
is really cool about Lake Superior it makes it own climate, it sure does I have
had the chance to experience this first hand……I have seen temps in the middle
80s along the beach with on off shore wind….The wind switch to the Northeast and
brought in colder temps…Down into the 60s to as low as the 50s, one way to
clear the beaches real fast! I have also experienced lake effect snows….One
minute is was clear and the next minute it was snowing so hard you could not
see feet in front of you….As a rule, around lake Superior its cooler in the
spring and summer, and warmer in the fall into winter, as much as 10 degrees
plus both ways….Which now brings me to another topic….
Storms or gales of
November..
I have seen waves as high as 20 feet on Lake Superior, there
are many reports of 30 footers…When conditions are just right, a Northeast wind
of 35 plus MPH can and does kick up big waves along parts of the South shores
into the head of Lake Superior…The higher the wind the bigger the waves are. The
main time for big waves is in November, however I have seen them throughout the
whole year….
From all the times I’m on or near Lake Superior I have
learned one thing….Superior can change on you real fast, you can never really
trust her, one has to be ready for everything she can throw at you….Trust me
with Superior I have seen the lake at its best and have seen it at its worse.
One lake you don’t want to play with, or tempt… The old saying Superior never
gives up her dead….It is so true. So enjoy Lake Superior, but always keep a
close on her at the same time…..
Next time I will be talking about ship wrecks …..
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