Latest news with #LakeSuperior
Associated Press
an hour ago
- General
- Associated Press
2 people found dead at remote island US national park in Lake Superior
HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) — Rangers hiked 11 miles (17.7 kilometers) overnight to confirm the deaths of two people who were camping at an island national park in Michigan's Lake Superior, authorities said Tuesday. 'The causes of death are unknown at this time. ... The incident is currently under investigation,' Isle Royale National Park said in a statement. Two rangers set out Sunday night after park staff was informed that two people were dead at a remote campground. They reached the site Monday. A phone message left with park authorities seeking more information Tuesday was not immediately returned. Isle Royale is an extraordinary wilderness park, accessible only by ferry, personal boat or seaplane and only open six months a year due to extreme weather. The island's population of moose and wolves is regularly studied by wildlife scientists.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
How long did Great Lakes ice hold on in 2025? When the last ice melted
It may seem like summer across the Great Lakes, but it's only been a few weeks since ice clung to the last few areas in Lake Superior, according to data from NOAA. The Great Lakes were at 52.23% ice coverage on Feb. 22, the highest percentages of ice coverage since February 2022 when it hit 56%, NOAA said earlier this year. While ice coverage shrunk quickly with warm spring weather, ice stubbornly hung on in Black Bay and Nipigon Bay, east of Thunder Bay, Ontario, until May 10-11. Lake Michigan, the first Great Lake to thaw completely, had a tiny area of ice at the north end of Green Bay, Wisconsin, on April 10-11. Great Lakes peak ice coverage typically coincides with the end of February, NOAA said. The upper Great Lakes see peak coverage in early March. Water temperatures across the ice-free lakes currently vary from the upper 30s to the mid-60s. Here is more on the Great Lakes and ice coverage data. Here are the dates of last recorded ice on each of the Great Lakes in 2025, from the Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory updates: Lake Michigan: April 14 Lake Ontario: April 19 Lake Erie: April 22 Lake Huron: May 8 Lake Superior: May 11 Great Lakes - overall: May 11 As of June 6, the Great Lakes remain pretty cold. Here's a look at current temperatures and where they were measured, according to Lake Superior: The warmest water temperature in Lake Superior was 60.1 degrees (Ashland), and the coldest temperature was 37.8 degrees (Terrace Bay). Lake Michigan: The warmest water temperature in Lake Michigan was 62.4 degrees (Green Bay), and the coldest temperature was 43.5 degrees (Fisherman Island). Lake Huron: The warmest water temperature in Lake Huron was 61.7 degrees (Sebewaing), and the coldest temperature was 40.8 degrees (Rogers City). Lake Erie: The warmest water temperature in Lake Erie was 67.8 degrees (Rossford), and the coldest temperature was 54.1 degrees (Peacock Point). Lake Ontario: The warmest water temperature in Lake Ontario was 55.8 degrees (Dexter), and the coldest temperature was 46 degrees (Ajax). Historically, Lake Erie freezes and warms the quickest due to its shallow depth, the shallowest among the Great Lakes. The average depth of Lake Erie is about 62 feet and 210 feet, maximum — with 871 miles of shoreline, the Great Lakes Commission said. Here are the other average depths for the Great Lakes, from deepest to shallowest from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency: Lake Superior: 483 feet in average depth, maximum depth at 1,332 feet. Lake Michigan: 279 feet in average depth, reaching 925 feet at maximum. Lake Ontario: 283 feet in average depth, maximum depth at 802 feet. Lake Huron: 195 feet in average depth, and approximately 750 feet at maximum. The overall highest percentage of ice coverage for all the Great Lakes took place in 1979 when they were 94.7% covered, NOAA said. Lake Superior has frozen over once since 1973, according to NOAA. The lake had 100% ice cover in 1996. Lake Michigan's ice cover high was 93.2% in 2014. Lake Huron had 98.2% ice cover in 1996. Lake Erie froze over completely in 1978, 1979 and 1996. Lake Ontario had 86.2% ice coverage in 1979. This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Michigan Great Lakes ice in 2025 lasted until May. Here's where
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Glowing rocks in the U.P.? What to know about 'Yooperlites'
Most people do their rock hunting during the day, but you can't find "Yooperlites" until the sun goes down. Yooperlites are rocks that fluoresce in the dark under ultraviolet light. They became known when a UP resident discovered them in 2017, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy. Spring is the best time to search for Yooperlites and other rocks, according to Pure Michigan, because winter ice moved beach sand and stones around, and now has broken up for the season, leaving newly unearthed stones along Lake Superior's shoreline to be discovered. Throughout the year, the best time to seek Yooperlites and other stones is after a storm, when waves have disrupt and uncover new rocks. Here's what to know about the rock that is found in the Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior: Yooperlites are a variety of sodalite-rich syenite found in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Syenite is a coarse-grained, plutonic (intrusive) igneous rock that primarily consists of the minerals feldspar, typically orthoclase feldspar, and often includes smaller amounts of other minerals such as hornblende, mica, or amphibole. Unlike granite, which is another common intrusive igneous rock, syenite contains minimal to no quartz, Geology Science said. Sodalite is a deep blue to blue-violet mineral best known for its use in jewelry, sculpture, and decorative stonework. Sodalite forms in igneous rocks that crystallized from sodium-rich, silica-poor magmas. That's how it got its name—soda + lithos, or 'sodium stone," according to Rock Your World gem & art gallery. In normal light, a Yooperlite looks like granite. Sodalite replaces quartz, so the larger the mineral size, the brighter the shine, EGLE said. There are roughly five classes of Yooperlites: Gemmy (mostly Sodalite or large sodalite crystal, the entire specimen glows orange) Snowflake or Flower (similar to snowflake obsidian, large blotches on the surface that look like snowflakes, but crystal glow does not penetrate into the interior) Striated (sodalite fills cracks in the rock matrix, so appears as orange lines or veins) Spray Paint (tiny crystal droplets scattered around the surface) Galaxy (larger crystals than spray paint that are dispersed in the rock that glow like the night sky, crystals penetrate the matrix) The rocks can be found in different areas throughout Michigan, but are most likely to be found in the Upper Peninsula along Lake Superior, often on beaches near Grand Marais and in the Keweenaw Peninsula. Yooperlites can be found as loose pebbles and cobbles along many Lake Superior beaches and even in some inland gravel pits. The stones are derived from igneous rocks near Marathon, Ontario, known as the Coldwell Alkaline Complex and were transported into Michigan by glaciers during periods of continental glaciation. How to search for them: Start with a beach that has known stones Get a good UV light (365 wavelength) Wear safety glasses with UV protection Take along a garden tine rake to move the deposited gravel around or to reach out into the water. Yooperlites may not shine on all surfaces, so moving stones around will increase your chance of seeing them Be strategic: Use a sweeping side-to-side motion for better coverage and light angle about 6 to 8 feet in front" Walk at a normal pace and shine the light with a sweeping motion. According to the EGLE, one person can not exceed 25 pounds per year on state-owned and public trust lands. These identification techniques, according to the EGLE, can help rock hunters determine the type of rocks they have: Color (also color of a "streak" if it can be made by swiping the specimen on a piece of porcelain, creating a powder) Luster (shiny, dull, glassy) Fluorescence (shines under UV light) Shape/structure (crystal form or amorphous?) Breakage (how does it break apart, cleavage or fracture?) Density/specific gravity (can get an idea by "hefting" to see if it's heavy for its size) Magnetism Smell Radioactivity The stones can be found across multiple locations in Michigan including: Eagle River Beach Whitefish Point Muskallonge State Park Grand Marais Beach Bay Furnace Beach Pebble Beach Agate Beach Misery Bay Black River Harbor Beach Agates are formed when gas bubbles in lava leave a hole in the "vesicle" in the rock, according to the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy. Silica (silicon dioxide) solutions flow into the hole in the host rock and fill it up over time, making the bands, the news release says. Jalen Williams is a trending reporter at the Detroit Free Press. Contact him at jawilliams1@ This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: What to know about 'Yooperlites.' How to find Michigan's glowing rocks
CBS News
03-06-2025
- General
- CBS News
After 60 years, the search for a missing plane in Lake Superior continues
Search team that found missing plane in Michigan's Lake Huron aims to help more families Search team that found missing plane in Michigan's Lake Huron aims to help more families Search team that found missing plane in Michigan's Lake Huron aims to help more families Experts searching for plane wreckage in Michigan's Lake Superior turned up logs and rocks on the bottom but no debris from an aircraft that crashed nearly 60 years ago, carrying three people on a scientific assignment. A team from Michigan Technological University returned last week by boat to get closer to 16 targets that appeared on sonar last fall, more than 200 feet below the surface of the vast lake. The crew used side-scan sonar and other remote technology. "We did not locate any sign of the wreckage of the missing aircraft," said Travis White, a research engineer at the Great Lakes Research Center at Michigan Tech. "However, we did validate our technical approach, as we found physical objects in each target location." The Beechcraft plane carrying pilot Robert Carew, co-pilot Gordon Jones and graduate student Velayudh Krishna Menon left Madison, Wisconsin, for Lake Superior on Oct. 23, 1968. They were collecting data on temperature and other lake conditions for the National Center for Atmospheric Research. Seat cushions and pieces of stray metal have washed ashore over the years along the Keweenaw Peninsula. But the wreckage and the remains of the men have never been found. "We're probably not going to find a fully intact airplane," said Wayne Lusardi, state maritime archaeologist. An autonomous vessel was launched last September, recording sonar readings and other data. After studying those findings over the winter, White, Lusardi and others returned to Lake Superior. "Unfortunately, the targets turned out to be mostly natural: large sunken trees, logs, rocks," White said by email. Metal cans on the lake bottom, believed to be 75 years old, give "hope that the plane wreckage may be reasonably well-preserved and not buried," he said. White said the next challenge will be how to continue the work. "We may attempt a crowdfunding model to see if we can raise some funds for future mapping activities that could help us locate the plane or other historic wrecks," he said. The initial search last fall was organized by the Smart Ships Coalition, a group of more than 60 universities, government agencies, companies and international organizations interested in maritime autonomous technologies. The video above was first published on Aug. 30, 2024.
Washington Post
03-06-2025
- General
- Washington Post
After 60 years, the search for a missing plane in Lake Superior remains fruitless
Experts searching for plane wreckage in Michigan's Lake Superior turned up found logs and rocks on the bottom but no debris from an aircraft that crashed nearly 60 years ago carrying three people on a scientific assignment. A team from Michigan Technological University returned last week by boat to get closer to 16 targets that appeared on sonar last fall , more than 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface of the vast lake. The crew used side-scan sonar and other remote technology.
