Great Lakes artistry

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This image taken by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite June 9 shows color changes from sediments stirred up by the the previous day's heavy winds. Image: NASA Earth Observatory

This image taken by NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite June 9 shows color changes from sediments stirred up by the the previous day’s heavy winds. Image: NASA Earth Observatory

By Josh Bender

Wind, temperature changes and algal blooms recently painted Lake Erie with swirls of blue and green, according to NASA satellite photographs.

On June 8, persistent 20 to 25 mph winds whipped up sediments within the lakebed, leaving them suspended in the north and east ends of the lake between Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario, as seen in the June 9 photo. This type of wind event, called a seiche, piles up water on one side of the lake, according to the NASA’s Earth Observatory.

The summer warmth that begins penetrating the lake in June and July prompts the growth of algae, according to the Earth Observatory. It results in green tinges like those apparent in the June 12 photo.

Algae tinges Lake Erie green in an image taken June 12 by NASA's Landsat 8 satellite. Image: NASA Earth Observatory

Algae tinges Lake Erie green in an image taken June 12 by NASA’s Landsat 8 satellite. Image: NASA Earth Observatory

Shifts in temperature can change Lake Erie’s chemistry, in turn spurring the rate of photosynthesis among microscopic organisms. That results in a sudden release of calcium carbonate in an event called whiting, giving water a milky white appearance.

4 thoughts on “Great Lakes artistry

  1. This isn’t art, it’s illness. The reason for the frequency and severity of this, is the stalled natural conveyor. Until the ice boom is outlawed, it will only get worse. Google “Joe Barrett ice boom” for the truth. JBB

  2. These events would not be a severe or happen as often as they do if the natural conveyor were restored. The N.Y.P.A. ICE BOOM has disrupted the normal annual cycle. Please Google “Joe Barrett ice boom” for the truth.

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