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Lake Ontario glints at spacecam

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Sun glints off the surface of Lake Ontario in the lower right corner of this image taken recently by astronauts on board the International Space Station. The mirror-like effect is known appropriately as sunglint. NASA’s Earth Observatory reports the picture was taken when the station was over southeast Nova Scotia and about 740 miles from the centerpoint of the image. From this perspective you can see Lake Huron’s Saginaw and Georgian bays above and to the right of Lake Ontario, and the Finger Lakes of New York to its left. Sunglint also highlights Lake Erie to the west, but the angle makes it appear duller than Lake Ontario.

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Record summer heat killing more fish

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Summer fish kills are not unusual.

Heat and drought means less oxygen is dissolved in water.

This year there is more of both in the Great Lakes region, resulting in more fish kill reports than usual.

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Photo Friday: The gulls of Lake Erie

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On the shores of Lake Erie near Cleveland, Ohio, adjacent to an industrial area housing the Cleveland Browns Stadium, the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame, and the Great Lakes Science Center, is home to a large colony of ring-billed gulls. The gulls build their nests on the ground and line it with grass, reeds and rushes and typically hatch 2-4 eggs at a time. Mom and Dad share the sitting duties. These photos show the colony, the nest sitters, a nest and the “guards” who line the fence to warn the parents-to-be of impending intruders.  

 

 

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Hot times for a cold lake; Lake Superior headed for record temp

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The coldest of the Great Lakes may be headed toward record warmth. Lake Superior is already the warmest it’s been at this time of year in at least a century, according to Climate Central,a group that researches and reports on climate. The group recently reported that Lake Superior began warming earlier than normal because of scant lake ice cover and an unusual March heat wave. Warm temperatures since have kept the heat on. The analysis is based on data from researchers at the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory and the University of Minnesota-Duluth.