Great Lakes Echo (http://greatlakesecho.org/author/james-dau/page/3/)
The city rests on the island of Montreal, at the confluence of the St. Lawrence and Ottawa Rivers. Major roads and industrial areas appear bright white, while residential and commercial parts of the city glow yellow-gold. The photo was taken while the space station passed over the Pennsylvania/New York border. Photo and information courtesy of NASA.
The drought plaguing the country continues to sap the groundwater and soil water of the Great Lakes region, according to new NASA satellite data. The two maps, constructed using data from NASA’s Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment satellites, show low near-surface and subterranean water levels across the region between January 8 and 14, 2013. These satellites have been used to examine surface soil and ground water levels since they were launched in 2002. While not as low as some areas of the southeast or west, much of the region remains below the 1948-2009 average. Average levels are denoted by white space on the maps, while above-average is blue and below-average appears red.
Residents of Great Lakes cities are increasingly victims of urban flooding.
Getting a handle on the problem is difficult as property owners often don’t want to talk about sewage spilling into their homes.
A composite map of the Great Lakes produced by NOAA’s CoastWatch organization shows near-historic low ice coverage across the region. The map, known as the Great Lakes Surface Environmental Analysis, is a composite of data taken from NOAA satellites orbiting the earth’s poles and radar scans of the lakes by the National Ice Center. The resulting image shows surface water temperature and ice coverage, important data for region scientists, fishermen and boaters. The map’s data is updated daily. “Previously, the lowest ice coverage year was 2002,” CoastWatch manager George Leshkevich said.
Gov. Rick Snyder cited concerns about the impact of a changing climate and increasing demand for water.
Environmental groups are broadly supportive of the move.
PBS NewsHour science correspondent Miles O’Brien proved just how far he’s willing to go for a story as he plumbed the murky depths of Detroit, Mich.’s sewer system. His report on the problems facing America’s waste water infrastructure and the various methods being explored to improve it took him below the city streets to a world of unsung heroes, strange new smells, and looming challenges for the Great Lakes region and the nation. Watch A Journey to Confront Our Aging Water Systems on PBS. See more from PBS NewsHour.
Vapors from household products containing mercury present a serious threat to human health, according to this public service announcement from the Michigan Department of Community Health. Mercury vapors are actually more harmful than physical exposure to mercury, according to department toxicologist Christina Bush. While mercury in its natural liquid state does not absorb through the skin, exposure to the fumes is dangerous. “It can be difficult to predict at what point exposure to mercury vapors will cause harm,” Bush said, “It depends on the amount in the air and how long people are breathing in the mercury.” The health department recommends that concentrations in a nonresidential setting (like an office or a store), where mercury normally is not handled but where a spill has occurred, not exceed 3 micrograms per cubic meter after the mercury is cleaned up properly.
Cleanup in the wake of a mercury spill can cost thousands of dollars, according to this public service announcement from the Michigan Department of Community Health. “Most spills that are handled quickly and correctly pose no health threat,” said Christina Bush, health department toxicologist. “You might be able to clean up a small spill, like that from a fever thermometer, on your own, but do not vacuum a mercury spill,” Bush said, “Doing so will contaminate your vacuum cleaner and increase the mercury vapor dramatically. If you are unable to clean up the spill right away, tape plastic (like garbage bags) on the mercury-contaminated carpet or flooring . This will reduce the amount of mercury vapor that could get into the air.”
