The largest lake in the world is Lake Superior. Lake Superior Location of Lake Superior

• Dimensions: 563x257 km
• Square: 82700 sq. km
• Volume: 12 thousand cubic meters km
• Coastline: 4385 km
• Maximum depth: 406 m
• Average depth: 147 m
• Type of mineralization: insipid
• Inflowing river: Nipigon
• Flowing river: st maris

Many people know about the system of the Great Lakes of North America: from school, from books about Indians, movies, or from traveler stories. One of the most legendary reservoirs of our planet attracts both scientists and tourists to its shores. So what is it, the Upper Lake: sewage or drainless, salty or fresh, where, on what continent is it located on the world map and which sea basin does it belong to? Let's try to understand these issues.

Description of Lake Superior

This name belongs to the largest and deepest freshwater body among the five Great Lakes. The geographical position of Lake Superior is North America, the eastern part of the border and the USA. The northern coast of the reservoir washes the Canadian province of Ontario. The western and southern shores lie already in the territory of the United States.

This is the second lake in the world in terms of fresh water reserves and the first in terms of mirror area. The area of ​​Lake Superior is approximately 82.7 thousand square meters. km. It is believed that it is only five times smaller than the legendary Caspian Sea! The reservoir was formed during the second ice age and is relatively “young”: it is about 10 thousand years old.

Why is the lake called Upper?

In the local language, the name of the lake is translated as "big water". The first French settlers called it "the highest lake". To understand which of the lakes - Superior or Michigan - is located to the north, just look at the map - it clearly illustrates the name of Lake Superior.

What is interesting about this place?

The length of the entire coastline is 4385 m. The coastline is strongly indented in places, and two largest bays can also be distinguished: Whitefish and Kivino. The mirror of the freshwater lake is decorated with several islands: Apostle, Isle Royal (the largest with its lake in the center), Madeleine and Mishipikoten. The Canadian shores are mostly high and rocky, sometimes sheer (up to 400 m in height). In addition to the landscapes of Lake Superior, which will give you wonderful photos and long memories, this reservoir differs significantly from its neighbors in its data.

The main characteristics of the Upper Lake:

1. Temperature the center is always +4 ° С, the Upper Lake never freezes due to severe storms in winter. Near the coast, ice can be observed from December to early May. The water is always cold and very clear. In summer, off the coast, the surface of the water can warm up to +12 °C.
2. Depth(largest) Lake Superior - 406 m: few fresh water reservoirs can boast of such data. However, the average depth is about 147 m. Scientists have calculated the approximate total volume of water - 11.6 thousand cubic meters. km. This is approximately 10% of the total supply of drinking water in the world.
3. Coordinates Lake Superior: 48° north latitude and 87° west longitude.
4. The reservoir is at the 183 m above sea level. The origin of the basin in which Lake Superior was formed is the deformation of the crystalline rocks of the Canadian Shield by a glacier.
5. Length Lake Superior is about 616 km, width - 257 km.
6. Salinity The upper lake is less than 1‰ (fresh water).

What rivers flow into Lake Superior? The most significant tributary of all 300 rivers and streams is the Nipigon, but there are no particularly large and full-flowing tributaries. There is also only one runoff at the reservoir - the St. Marys River, which flows into Lake Huron after 112 km. The upper one is rich in fish. Here you can meet the king fish - medium and large sturgeon, beloved by many varieties of the so-called "red" fish: trout, whitefish, as well as pike, etc.

The direction and extent of Lake Superior is from west to east. The reservoir plays an important energy and shipping role in its region. The largest port in Canada is. Lake Superior is one of the stages of the route of the waterway through the locks to the Atlantic Ocean (Gulf of St. Lawrence).

How to get there?

Most on Lake Superior begin in the cities of Thunder Bay and. You can get to them by highway 17 or 129 respectively. These are large cities where you can get from and to by intercity bus. You can also take part in an amazing group tour of the Great Lakes.

Lake Superior is not only the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes, but also the largest freshwater lake in the world by area.
As a result of a long history of confrontation (sometimes bloody) between the British, French and Americans, the water area of ​​​​the lake was divided between two countries: the northeastern part is in Canada, the western and southern parts are in the USA.
The lake was formed in an ancient tectonic basin of the Canadian Crystal Shield. Subsequently, the entire area of ​​the lake basin was processed by glaciers, which literally “plowed” it in the strata of ancient crystalline rocks. Outcrops of these rocks are preserved in the north, where the shores of the lake are rocky and high: individual rocks rise to a height of up to 400 m. In contrast, the southern shore is predominantly low and sandy, processed by a glacier.
Large rivers do not flow into the Upper Lake, but small ones - about two hundred. The only river that flows out of the lake is St. Marys, fast and rapid, flowing into the lake. Its significance is very great. First, it forms a segment of the state border between the province (Canada) and the state of Michigan (USA). Secondly, it is part of the shipping route on the Great Lakes, and in order to lay it around its rapids, it was necessary to build canals with locks.
In general, the coastline of the Upper Lake is very indented, along the entire border of the lake there are many bays and coves.
Due to the fact that the river flow into the lake is small, the water in it is clear and cold: in the center of the reservoir, even in summer, the temperature does not exceed +4°C. Despite this, the center of the lake does not freeze, although the winters here are severe. The reason lies in the strong autumn and winter storms, which, as the local Indians say, "keep the big water up to sleep." But the entire coastal zone is covered with ice from the beginning of December to the end of April.
Upper Lake is located in the zone of distribution of coniferous and mixed forests of North America. Conifers are dominated by black and white spruce, balsam fir, red and white pine. Hardwoods typical of the shores of Lake Superior are birch, poplar, maple, beech, ash, linden and horse chestnut.
The first Europeans, in the 1620s. who reached the shores of Lake Superior were French colonists - fur hunters (trappers). They gave it the name Lac Superieur (Upper), as it was the most upstream in the Great Lakes system. Later, in the USA and English-speaking Canada, this name is used as a tracing-paper from the French name: Lake Superieur - Upper.
At about the same time as the French, the Spaniards appeared on the shores of Lake Superior, founded several Catholic missions, but could not gain a foothold due to the lack of financial support from the King of Spain, who in one of his letters called these places a “damp hole”.
European pioneers were met by eight Indian tribes, the largest was the Ojibwe tribe, who settled in Chekuamegon Bay. The Indians were pushed back by European hunters, missionaries, and later by the North American Yankees, who took up the development of iron ore and copper deposits. In the 19th century railways appeared here and ports were built.
Currently, the industrial development of the Lake Superior region has slowed down due to the efforts of conservationists who oppose any attempt to industrialize this region of wonderful landscapes and pristine nature.
In American textbooks of history and geography, Lake Superior is often referred to as the "golden link" in the chain of the Great Lakes that connected the coast of the Atlantic Ocean with the central regions of the country.
For all its beauty, Lake Superior remains very complex and capricious with its sudden change in weather, sudden squalls and strong currents.
Most of the inhabitants of the shores of Lake Superior are white, among them there are many descendants of the first settlers - the British and French. Many immigrants from Scandinavia and Germany, who came here in the XIX century. in search of work in mines and logging. There are very few indigenous people - Indians, they live compactly in settlements, less often - in port cities.
Compared to other Great Lakes, Lake Superior has been the least affected by industrial and agricultural pollution. The reason is not only in the many water protection programs, but also in the fact that agriculture along the banks has not received much development due to the rocky soil, and very large cities have not appeared here, only a few ports.
The iron ore and copper deposits located in the Lake Superior region (on the Kevino Peninsula in Michigan, USA) are under the vigilant supervision of federal environmental services, and their importance is no longer as great as it was several decades ago.
Nevertheless, Lake Superior is of economic importance as it is an important link in the Great Lakes waterway. During the navigation, which lasts about eight months, more than 20 thousand ships pass through the lake, carrying mainly passengers, container cargo, and timber. In the world classification, a specific type of “Great Lakes cargo ship” is separately singled out, these are the largest non-marine ships in the world - up to 300 m long and over 30 m wide. Vessels whose service life has expired have become museums, on the Upper Lake of such museum ships two: "William L. Irwin" in Duluth and "Meteor" in Superior. The same neighboring cities divided among themselves the largest port on the Great Lakes, called Twin Port (Twin Port).
Commercial fishing is also carried out in the Upper Lake. There are a lot of fish - due to the purity of the waters and the lack of industrial runoff. Fishing for whitefish, trout, sturgeon predominates.
The almost virgin nature of the surroundings of Lake Superior has been preserved in the national parks of Isle Royal (USA) and Pukaskua (Canada).
Isle Royal is the name of the largest local island, measuring 72 × 14 km. About 6 thousand years ago, the Indians mined copper here, and today roads and cars are prohibited here and the Isle Royal National Park, founded back in 1940, is located. The island is unique in that it has another lake - Siskeywit, and quite large, an area of ​​about 20 km2. In turn, there are several islands on the lake, including Ryan Island, on which there is an Elk Pond, and in it there are large boulder islands. Such a "natural matryoshka" is the result of ancient glaciation.
The Archipelago of the Apostles is part of a special nature protection zone - the national lake coast, which includes more than 20 islands with historical lighthouses, underwater grottoes, relict forests and habitats for wild animals located on them.
The habits and way of life of the population on the shores of Lake Superior, considered perhaps the most well-read and athletic in the United States, have become part of American folklore. A typical "lake" event is the annual ski run "With a book across the bay" (run organized by the library community). Every year in February, skiers and athletes in Indian snowshoes run through the snow that covers the frozen Chekuamegon Bay. They cross the 10-kilometer bay at night, by the light of stars and thousands of candles set right in the snow.

general information

Location: Central Plains of North America.
State affiliation: On the US-Canada border.
Large islands: Isle Royal, Madeleine, Apostle Archipelago (USA).
Large bays: Kivino (USA), Whitefish (Canada, USA)
Port cities: Thunder Bay (Ontario, Canada) - 108,359 people (2011), Duluth (Minnesota, USA) - 86,265 people (2010), Superior (Wisconsin, USA) - 27,244 people (2010).
Languages: English, French, Indian languages.
Ethnic composition: white - about 95%, other - 5% (2014).
Religions: Christianity (Catholicism, Protestantism), Judaism.
Origin: tectonic.
Water balance: sewage (the St. Marys River flows out).
Mineralization: fresh.
Food: river, rain, ground water.
Coastal territories: in the north - the province of Ontario (Canada), in the west - the state of Minnesota (USA), in the south - the states of Wisconsin and Michigan (USA)

Numbers

Area: 82.1 thousand km 2 (54 thousand km 2 - USA; 28.1 thousand km 2 - Canada).

Volume: 11.6 thousand km 3.
Length: 613 km.
Width: 256 km.
coastline length: 2938 km.
Max Depth: 406 m.
Average depth: 147 m.
Pool area: 127,700 km2.
Height above sea level: 183 m.
Population: 425 548 people (USA, 2011), 181,573 people (Canada, 2014).

Climate and weather

Humid continental.
January average temperature: -15°C.
July average temperature: +17°С.
Average annual rainfall: about 580 mm.
Relative humidity: 65-75%.

Economy

Minerals: iron, copper.
Industry: mining, shipbuilding and ship repair, food (fish processing), light (woodworking).
Agriculture: plant growing (wheat, potatoes), animal husbandry (meat and dairy).
Hydroelectric power industry.
Lake navigation(Twin Port - Duluth and Superior, over 40 metric tons in 2002).
Fishing.
Services sector: transport, trade, tourist.

Attractions

Natural

Isle Royale (USA) and Pucasqua (Canada) National Parks, Apostles Island National Lakeshore (USA), Isle Royale with Siskiuit Lake, St. Marys River.

Duluth

Lake Twin Port (Twin Port), Duluth Ship Canal (1871), Historic Central High School (1892), Airlift Bridge (1905), Cargo Lake Ship Museum William L. Irwin "(built in 1938, a museum since 1978), the Great Lakes Aquarium (2000).

Thunder Bay

Fort William Historical Park (1815, 1973), Port Arthur, Sleeping Giant (Mesas), Amethyst Mines.

Curious facts

■ In the language of the Ojibwe Indians, Lake Superior is called Gichigami, which means "Big Water". The American poet Henry Longfellow (1807-1882) in his famous poem "The Song of Hiawatha", based on Native American folklore, mentioned Lake Superior with its "indigenous" name: "On the coast of Gitchi-Gyumi, the bright waters of the Great Sea ... "(translated by I. Bunin).
■ The vicinity of Isle Royale is the most dangerous place for navigation on all of Lake Superior. There is a very complex network of treacherous currents, many underwater rocks with jagged peaks and sudden storms that raise high waves. Since the island is located on the main shipping route, the number of sunken ships in the area has not yet been accurately established.
■ The St. Marys River, flowing from Lake Superior and partly forming the Canadian-American border, divides the once-united city of Sault Ste. Marie into an American part in Michigan and a Canadian part in Ontario.
■ The water level in Lake Superior fluctuates as canals for shipping and hydropower run nearby and the water level is regulated. However, these fluctuations barely reach 1.1 m: seasonal changes are 40-60 cm with a winter minimum and a summer maximum.
■ The name of the most common fish in Lake Superior is whitefish, which literally translates as “white fish”. However, in North America, not all representatives of the salmon family are called this way, but only one of its genus - whitefish.
■ On the island of Isle Royal, a pack of thirty wolves and a thousand elks strangely coexist, and, what zoologists consider extremely surprising, there are no bears at all. The number of moose is maintained due to the fact that in especially cold and hungry winters, moose migrate across the ice to the island from the Canadian shore of Lake Superior.
■ According to Ojibwe legend, the "Sleeping Giant" - elongated mesas in the Thunder Bay region - was once a living giant named Nanabiju. And he turned to stone by the will of the god of the Ojibways, after he gave the white settlers the location of a rich deposit of silver, which actually exists and is called the Silver Isle.
■ During a storm, the wind raises waves up to 9 m high on the Upper Lake.

The fresh water reservoir with the largest area is the Upper Lake. Location - North America. 82.4 thousand square kilometers occupies the area of ​​its water surface. The lake is in 3rd place in terms of the volume of fresh water on our planet, and it is inferior in terms of indicators only to Baikal and Tanganyika. The content in the lake is 11.6 thousand km 3. The average depth is 147 m, the greatest is 406 m.

Great Lakes

Where is Lake Superior located on the map of the North American continent? It is located in the United States and Canada. Lake Superior is one of the links in a chain of freshwater reservoirs located in eastern North America between Canada and the United States. The system consists of five lakes: Superior, Huron, Michigan, Erie and Ontario. And only Michigan is wholly owned by the United States.

Other lakes are separated by a border. In Canada, Lake Superior is located in the province of Ontario. The state of Minnesota is located on the western shore of the lake. In the southwest, Wisconsin. The south coast is in

The length of the coastline is 4387 km. The lake is 560 km long. It reaches a width of 260 km. The coastline is indented with bays and bays. On the north coast - rocks and cliffs. And the southern coast has a flat terrain.

Connections

Lake Superior is considered the second largest in the world and, as already mentioned, the largest fresh water body in the world and the United States. It completes the journey from the Atlantic Ocean to the interior of the continent. All the Great Lakes are connected to each other by rivers and canals. The upper is inextricably linked with Lake Huron by the St. Marys River, which is about 112 km long. It has a large number of rapids and rifts, in these places it is not suitable for navigation. That is why channels are created around the thresholds. The upper lake is still connected with the Canadian lake Nipigon by means of a small river.

Emergence

The bowl of the lake looks like a depression of tectonic origin. Due to the large number of earthquakes, deep faults appeared. The bottom of the lake was leveled by glaciers, completing the work begun by earthquakes. According to scientists, about 30 thousand years ago, North America in the eastern regions was covered with glaciers that came here from the north. These glaciers were fickle. They either moved north, leaving behind lake bowls, then they came here again. When the glaciers finally left the territory of the eastern regions of the continent, a huge lake formed in this place, which received the name Algonquin in modern science. In terms of area, it was very large and presumably exceeded the size of Lake Baikal by 10 times. This lake did not last long. After a while, a lot of water left, which filled A after several millennia, the Great Lakes appeared on this place.

Uniqueness

These famous lakes are considered one of the great wonders of the planet. They are unique. The lakes form a hydrographic community, and a very extensive one, differing from the rest of the world's lakes in size, water volume and coastline configuration. They are located 500 kilometers from the Atlantic Ocean and 700 kilometers from the Hudson Strait. They are the largest lake system in North America, located in the upper and middle part of the St. Lawrence River basin.

"Sea Road"

The Great Lakes are one of the main shipping routes in eastern North America. To get from the port of Duluth on Lake Superior to the source of the St. Lawrence River, you need to travel more than 2000 km. The upper lake is the highest mountain - 183.6 meters above sea level. The reservoir is also fed by the waters carried by the rivers.

Is the upper lake wastewater or drainless?

Let's try to understand this issue. The lake is wastewater, its flow occurs through the St. Marys River. From December to April, freezing occurs in coastal areas. The water level drops in the lake. Precipitation is also rare at this time, because there is not enough water to maintain the level in the lake.

The minimum level is usually in March-April. Then the ambient temperature rises, and the coastal snows begin to melt. Rivers quickly fill with water, and this leads to an increase in its level in the lake.

The largest volume of water in the Upper is observed in summer, just at this time they go

abundant rains. Level fluctuation does not exceed 1 m, but sometimes it can be more. This is mainly not due to the influx of water, but due to the movement of air masses.

seiches

The upper lake is not protected by mountain ranges, so the winds that come from the mainland or from the ocean roam freely, causing unrest in the reservoir.

Here you can observe a frequent phenomenon for this place - seiches. Giant waves form on the surface of the lake, causing the shore to collapse. Lake Superior is colder than all the other Great Lakes. In summer, the water warms up by no more than 12 degrees. And at depth it is almost always about 4 degrees.

Lake food

More than 200 rivers flow into Lake Superior. Nipigon is one of them, it is 48 km long and 50 to 200 m wide. One cannot help but recall the St. Louis River, which is 192 km long. Other rivers such as Pidgeon, Brul, Belaya, Stony also flow into it. All of them are no more than 100 km in length, but still contribute to the nutrition of the lake.

Islands

Lake Superior also has islands, some are enough - Isle Royal, it reaches a length of 72 km, a width of 14 km. On the Great Lakes, it ranks 2nd after Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron. Now Isle Royal has the status of a national park, which is served by ferries from the mainland.

In the north of the lake is the island of Mishipikoten, its length is 27 km, its width is 10 km. It is the realm of the wild. 22 islands, called the Apostle Islands, belong to the state of Wisconsin.

Let's also name the islands that are the Michigan National Recreation Area. This is Madeline and Grand Island.

Conclusion

There are many large cities near the lake, such as Duluth, Thunder Bay, Marquette, Sault Ste. Marie. From this article, you learned where Lake Superior is located. Read about its history. We got acquainted with interesting facts, its location on the map and received other information. We hope you enjoyed it.

Upper Lake Superior Upper in the Great Lakes system. Coordinates: Coordinates ... Wikipedia

UPPER LAKE, a lake in North America (USA, Canada), in the Great Lakes system. The area is 82.4 thousand km2 (the largest freshwater lake in terms of water area in the world), the depth is up to 393 m. The flow into Lake Huron along the St. Marys River. Ports: Duluth, Thunder Bay… Modern Encyclopedia

upper lake- UPPER LAKE, a lake in North America (USA, Canada), in the Great Lakes system. The area is 82.4 thousand km2 (the largest freshwater lake in terms of water area in the world), the depth is up to 393 m. The flow into Lake Huron along the St. Marys River. Ports: Duluth, Thunder Bay. … Illustrated Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Lake Superior) in the USA and Canada, in the Great Lakes system. The largest fresh lake in the world. 82.4 thousand km & sup2, depth up to 393 m. Huron along the river. Saint Marys. National parks Isle Royal (USA), Pucasqua (Canada). Main ports: Duluth, Thunder… … Big Encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Lake Superior) copper ore region in the USA, pcs. Michigan. It includes a group of deposits of native copper (developed since 1845) and cuprous sandstones (discovered in 1865, developed since 1915) with total reserves of approx. 9 million tons of copper (1979).… … Geological Encyclopedia

- (Lake Superior), in the USA and Canada, in the Great Lakes system. The largest fresh lake in the world. 82.4 thousand km2, depth up to 393 m. Flow into Lake Huron along the river. Saint Marys. National parks Isle Royal (USA), Pucasqua (Canada). Main ports: Duluth, Thunder… … encyclopedic Dictionary

- (Lake Superior), the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes, the largest freshwater in terms of area in the world. Sev. east h is located in Canada, app. and south. in USA. Located at an altitude of 183 m. Pl. 82.7 thousand km², max. depth 406 m, water volume 11.6 thousand ... Geographic Encyclopedia

- (Lake Superior) the largest and deepest of the Great Lakes (See Great Lakes) of North America and the largest freshwater lake in the world. Its northeastern part is in Canada, the western and southern part is in the USA. Located at an altitude of 183 m ... ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

upper lake- (Superior, Lake)Superior Lake, one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the largest freshwater lake in the world; maximum depth 405 m; sq. 84243 sq. km, sq. on the Canadian side 29888 sq. km. The cities of Duluth (USA) and … Countries of the world. Dictionary

In North America (Lake Superior), the most significant freshwater on the globe, inside with. American mainland; length up to 600 km, max. width 290 km, surface area 83600 sq. km, altitude y. m. 191 m, maximum depth 296 m. Belongs to ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

The upper lake is a fresh water reservoir with the maximum area. It is located in North America. The total size of the lake is 82.4 thousand square kilometers. This lake is on the 3rd place in terms of its volume of fresh water on our land, on the first and second - Baikal and Tanganyika. Fresh water in the lake has 11.6 thousand cubic kilometers. The average depth is 147 meters, the maximum is 406 meters. Lake Superior is located between Canada and the United States. (Find out at the same time). It is one of the Great Lakes, a link in a string of freshwater reservoirs located in the eastern part of North America between the USA and Canada. This system includes five lakes: Ontario, Michigan, Huron, Erie and Superior. And only Michigan belongs entirely to the United States. The rest of the lakes are divided by the border.

On Canadian territory, the lake is located in a province called Ontario. On the western side of the lake is a state called Minnesota. From the southwestern part - the state of Wisconsin. The southern part of the coast is located in the state of Michigan.

The upper lake is also united with the Canadian lake called Nipigon, and they are united by a small river. The appearance of Lake Chasha looks like a depression of tectonic origin. Due to frequent earthquakes, the deepest faults were formed. The lake bottom was able to level the glaciers. According to researchers, about 30,000 years ago in the eastern part of North America was all under the glaciers that came to these places from the north. Such glaciers were not permanent. The movement took place either to the North, leaving huge bowls from itself, then again returning back. Read about the waterfall here.

New formations

At the moment when the glaciers finally left the eastern territories of the mainland, a lake was formed in this area, which is called Algonquin in modern science. According to its area, it was considered very huge and, according to all assumptions, for a long time exceeded the size of Lake Baikal by 10 times. It didn't last very long. Over time, a large amount of water was lost, filling the St. Lawrence River. And when millennia passed, the Great Lakes could appear in this area.

These famous lakes are among the colossal wonders of the world. They are considered unique. These lakes form a hydrographic community. They were located 500 km from the Atlantic itself, as well as 700 km. from the Hudson Strait. It is the largest lake system in North America and is located in the middle and upper part of the St. Lawrence river basin. Sea Route - The Great Lakes are the most important shipping routes in eastern North America. In order to get from the port of Duluth, which is located on Lake Superior to the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River, you need to overcome the path of more than 2000 km. The upper lake is the highest mountain height, it has 183.6 m. This body of water is fed by atmospheric precipitation and water that is carried by rivers.

What is the Upper Lake sewage or endorheic? Let's deal with this issue. This lake is sewage, its flow goes along the St. Marys River. Starting from December and ending with April, freezing occurs in coastal areas. The water level in the lake is getting lower. Precipitation is rare during this period of time, sufficient water volume to maintain the level in the lake. The lowest level is from March to April. After that, the air temperature becomes higher and the coastal snows thaw. The rivers rapidly begin to fill with water, and thus this leads to an increase in its level in the lake itself. The most significant water volume in the Upper Lake can be observed in the summer, it is during this period that heavy precipitation occurs.