scholarly journals Analysis of the Impacts of Man-Made Features on the Stationarity and Dependence of Monthly Mean Maximum and Minimum Water Levels in the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River of North America

Water ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 8 (11) ◽  
pp. 485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ali Assani
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
St Lawrence River

Early Maize in Northeastern North America: A Comment on Emerson and Colleagues

2021 ◽  
Vol 86 (2) ◽  
pp. 425-427
Author(s):  
John P. Hart ◽  
William A. Lovis ◽  
M. Anne Katzenberg
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
River Valley ◽  
Human Bone ◽  
Northeastern North America ◽  
Isotopic Evidence ◽  
St Lawrence River

Emerson and colleagues (2020) provide new isotopic evidence on directly dated human bone from the Greater Cahokia region. They conclude that maize was not adopted in the region prior to AD 900. Placing this result within the larger context of maize histories in northeastern North America, they suggest that evidence from the lower Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River valley for earlier maize is “enigmatic” and “perplexing.” Here, we review that evidence, accumulated over the course of several decades, and question why Emerson and colleagues felt the need to offer opinions on that evidence without providing any new contradictory empirical evidence for the region.

Freight Capacity and Utilization of the Erie and Great Lakes Canals before 1850

1976 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 852-877 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas F. McIlwraith
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
North America ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Canal Enlargement ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Eastern Half ◽  
St Lawrence River

This paper deals with the relationship between tonnage capacity and utilization of the Erie, Welland and St. Lawrence River canals before 1850. Estimates are presented for the capacities of the canals, as built and modified. Comparison with the actual tonnage carried eastward for selected years shows that the British canals were grossly and increasingly underutilized, while the Erie's utilization was closely correlated with its capability, particularly through its eastern half. Reasons for this situation are given and it is argued that had British funds been redirected away from canal enlargement and applied to the construction of vessels and harbor facilities, the British might have entered upon a prosperous carrying trade within North America in the second quarter of the nineteenth century.

Toward an Operational Water Cycle Prediction System for the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River

2018 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 521-546 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Durnford ◽  
V. Fortin ◽  
G. C. Smith ◽  
B. Archambault ◽  
D. Deacu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Water Cycle ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Prediction System ◽  
River Flows ◽  
The Public ◽  
Agriculture Industry ◽  
Populated Region ◽  
Component Models ◽  
St Lawrence River

Abstract In this time of a changing climate, it is important to know whether lake levels will rise, potentially causing flooding, or river flows will dry up during abnormally dry weather. The Great Lakes region is the largest freshwater lake system in the world. Moreover, agriculture, industry, commerce, and shipping are active in this densely populated region. Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) recently implemented the Water Cycle Prediction System (WCPS) over the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River watershed (WCPS-GLS version 1.0) following a decade of research and development. WCPS, a network of linked models, simulates the complete water cycle, following water as it moves from the atmosphere to the surface, through the river network and into lakes, and back to the atmosphere. Information concerning the water cycle is passed between the models. WCPS is the first short-to-medium-range prediction system of the complete water cycle to be run on an operational basis anywhere. It currently produces two forecasts per day for the next three days. WCPS generally provides reliable results throughout the length of the forecast. The transmission of errors between the component models is reduced by data assimilation. Interactions between the environmental compartments are active. This ongoing intercommunication is valuable for extreme events such as rapid ice freeze-up and flooding or drought caused by abnormal amounts of precipitation. Products include precipitation; evaporation; lake water levels, temperatures, and currents; ice cover; and river flows. These products are of interest to a wide variety of governmental, commercial, and industrial groups, as well as the public.

“Codex canadiensis”, an early illustrated manuscript of Canadian natural history

2004 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 150-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Henry M. Reeves ◽  
FrançOis-Marc Gagnon ◽  
C. Stuart Houston
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Natural History ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
French Canadian ◽  
French Canada ◽  
Histoire Naturelle ◽  
History Of ◽  
St Lawrence River

ABSTRACT: “Codex canadiensis” consists of 79 leaves with 180 illustrations of plants, birds, mammals, fishes, and a few fabulous animals. This manuscript arguably is the most obscure and enigmatic surviving document pertaining to the early natural history of French Canada. It was lost until 1930, when Baron Marc de Villiers first published a facsimile. Two inferior editions later appeared in Canada. The codex was acquired about 1949 by Oklahoma oil baron Thomas Gilcrease and then deposited in the Gilcrease Museum, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Under the direction of one of us (Gagnon), French-Canadian scholars have established the codex's author was Father Louis Nicolas (1634–c. 1678), a Jesuit priest who laboured among tribes along the St Lawrence River and the Great Lakes during 1664–1675. This rejects the previous attribution to Charles Bécard (correctly Bécart), Sieur de Granville. The codex likely was completed in part, if not entirely, after Nicolas' return to France in 1675, and it is closely related to a much larger undated work by Nicolas, “Histoire naturelle des Indes Occidentales”. “Codex canadiensis” is among the most valuable extant manuscripts illustrating the natural history of North America as explored by early European naturalists.

Geoscience Medallist 1. Understanding the Holocene Closed-Basin Phases (Lowstands) of the Laurentian Great Lakes and Their Significance

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 179 ◽  
Author(s):  
C.F.M. Lewis
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Natural Experiment ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Laurentian Great Lakes ◽  
Middle Holocene ◽  
Closed Basin ◽  
Large Water ◽  
A Chain ◽  
Changements Climatiques ◽  
St Lawrence River

The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of five large water bodies and connecting rivers that constitute the headwaters of the St. Lawrence River. Collectively they form one of the largest reservoirs of surface freshwater on the planet with an aggregate volume of >22,000 km3. Early interpretations of the postglacial lake history implicitly assumed that the Great Lakes always overflowed their outlets. A study of Lake Winnipeg which concluded that lack of water in a dry climate had dried that lake for millennia led to re-evaluation of the Great Lakes water-level history. Using the empirical information of glacioisostatic rebound derived from 14C-dated and uptilted Great Lake paleo-shorelines, a method of computation was developed to test the paradigm of continuous lake overflow. The method evaluated site and outlet uplift independently, and lowlevel indicators such as submerged tree stumps rooted beneath the present Great Lakes were found to be lower than the lowestpossible corresponding basin outlet. Results confirmed the low-level, closed-basin hydrological status of the early Great Lakes. This status is consistent with paleoclimatic inferences of aridity during the early Holocene before establishment of the present patterns of atmospheric circulation which now bring adequate precipitation to maintain the overflowing lakes. In a sense, the early to middle Holocene phase of dry climate and low water levels is a natural experiment to illustrate the sensitivity of the Great Lakes to climate change in this era of global warming, should their climate shift to one much drier than present, or future major diversions of their waters be permitted.RÉSUMÉLes Grands Lacs Laurentiens sont une chaine de cinq grandes étendues d’eau connectées par des rivières, constituant la source du Fleuve St-Laurent. Collectivement, ils forment un des plus grands réservoirs d’eau douce de surface de la planète avec un volume total de plus de >22,000 km3. Les premièresinterprétations de l’histoire postglaciaire des lacs supposaient implicitement que les Grands Lacs débordaient à leurs exutoires. Une étude du Lac Winnipeg, qui concluait qu’un déficit en eau durant un épisode de climat aride avait desséché le lac pendant des millénaires dans le passé, a mené à la réévaluation de l’histoire du niveau de l’eau des Grands Lacs. En utilisant des données empiriques du relèvement glacio-isostatique, dérivées de littoral anciens surélevés datés au 14C, une méthode de calcul a été développée pour tester le paradigme d’unedécharge lacustre continue. La méthode a évalué le soulèvement des sites et des exutoires indépendamment, et il a été constaté que les indicateurs de bas niveau tels que des troncs d’arbres submergés, enracinés en dessous des Grands Lacs actuels, étaient en fait sous le niveau de l’exutoire correspondant le plus bas. Les résultats confirment le bas niveau et le statut de basin hydrologique fermé des Grand Lacs dans le passé. Ce statut est cohérent avec des évidences paléoclimatiques d’aridité au début de l’Holocène, avant l’établissement des modes de circulation atmosphérique actuels qui apportent des quantités de précipitation adéquates au maintien des décharges lacustres. Dans un sens, la période climatique aride du début et du milieu de l’Holocène, et les bas niveaux d’eau constituent une expérience naturelle qui illustre la sensibilité des Grands Lacs aux changements climatiques, pertinent dans le contexte actuel de réchauffement global, surtout s’il s’avérait que leur climat devienne plus aride que présentement, ou que des diversions majeures des eaux soient permises.

Domestic ballast operations on the Great Lakes: potential importance of Lakers as a vector for introduction and spread of nonindigenous species

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (2) ◽  
pp. 256-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael P. Rup ◽  
Sarah A. Bailey ◽  
Chris J. Wiley ◽  
Mark S. Minton ◽  
A. Whitman Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Great Lakes ◽  
Ballast Water ◽  
Small Proportion ◽  
River System ◽  
Nonindigenous Species ◽  
Potential Importance ◽  
Water Transfers ◽  
Invasion Impacts ◽  
St Lawrence River

Ballast water is recognized globally as a major vector of aquatic nonindigenous species (NIS) introductions; domestic ballast water transfers, however, have generally been considered low risk in North America. We characterize ballast operations of domestic ships in the Great Lakes – St. Lawrence River system (Lakers) during 2005–2007 to examine the risk of primary and secondary introductions associated with ballast water transfers over short distances. Results indicate that Lakers transported at least 68 million tonnes of ballast water annually. Approximately 71% of ballast water transfers were interregional, with net movement being from lower to upper lakes. A small proportion of ballast water discharged in the Great Lakes (<1%) originated from ports in the St. Lawrence River that may serve as sources for new NIS. These results indicate that domestic ballast water transfers may contribute to NIS introductions and are likely the most important ballast-mediated pathway of secondary spread within the Great Lakes. Future efforts to reduce invasion impacts should consider both primary and secondary introduction mechanisms.

Zebra Mussels as Biomonitors for Organic Contaminants in the Lower Great Lakes

1996 ◽  
Vol 31 (2) ◽  
pp. 411-432 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael E. Comba ◽  
Janice L. Metcalfe-Smith ◽  
Klaus L.E. Kaiser
Keyword(s):  
Great Lakes ◽  
Organic Contaminants ◽  
Lake Erie ◽  
Soft Tissues ◽  
Lake Ontario ◽  
Dry Weight ◽  
Zebra Mussels ◽  
Organic Contamination ◽  
Contamination Levels ◽  
St Lawrence River

Abstract Zebra mussels were collected from 24 sites in Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River between 1990 and 1992. Composite samples of whole mussels (15 sites) or soft tissues (9 sites) were analyzed for residues of organochlo-rine pesticides and PCBs to evaluate zebra mussels as biomonitors for organic contaminants. Mussels from most sites contained measurable quantities of most of the analytes. Mean concentrations were (in ng/g, whole mussel dry weight basis) 154 ΣPCB, 8.4 ΣDDT, 3.5 Σchlordane, 3.4 Σaldrin, 1.4 ΣBHC, 1.0 Σendosulfan, 0.80 mirex and 0.40 Σchlorobenzene. Concentrations varied greatly between sites, i.e., from 22 to 497 ng/g for ΣPCB and from 0.08 to 11.6 ng/g for ΣBHC, an indication that mussels are sensitive to different levels of contamination. Levels of ΣPCB and Σendosulfan were highest in mussels from the St. Lawrence River, whereas mirex was highest in those from Lake Ontario. Overall, mussels from Lake Erie were the least contaminated. These observations agree well with the spatial contaminant trends shown by other biomoni-toring programs. PCB congener class profiles in zebra mussels are also typical for nearby industrial sources, e.g., mussels below an aluminum casting plant contained 55% di-, tri- and tetrachlorobiphenyls versus 31% in those upstream. We propose the use of zebra mussels as biomonitors of organic contamination in the Great Lakes.

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