During the last ice age, the mile-thick Laurentide ice sheet covered most of Canada and the northern contiguous United States. The massive weight and movement of this glacier gouged out the earth to form the lake basins.
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It has been 'smoothed' by glaciers during recent ice-ages. These glaciers scraped it pretty clean, so the soil layer is extremely thin. The very same reasons that Minnesota has so many lakes and that the Great Lakes and the Great Salt Lake exist.
Finally, the country with the most lakes in the world is Canada, consisting of 879,800 lakes – more lakes than the other countries combined! Canada contains about 62% of the world's 1.42 million lakes. Unsurprisingly, Canada is the second-largest country in the world, after Russia.
Millions of people rely on the Great Lakes for their drinking water, which is considered safe if filtered properly. The city of Toronto treats over 1 billion litres of drinking water every day. That water is collected from Lake Ontario through intake pipes deep below the surface and at least 1 km from the shore.
Lake sturgeons are the biggest fish in the Great Lakes. And while individuals can pass the century mark, the species has been around since the days of the dinosaurs.
Lake Superior is the world's largest freshwater lake by area (31,700 mi2 /82,100 km2). It is also the coldest and deepest of the Great Lakes, with a maximum depth of 406 meters (1,332 feet). By most measures, it is the healthiest of all the Great Lakes.
Glacial-fed alpine lakes in the Rocky Mountains are among the clearest in the world. Fine rock dust, produced by massive glaciers rubbing against bedrock, stays suspended in the water, reflecting light and creating the turquoise colours that Moraine Lake and Lake Louise are known for.
As glacial meltwater carries sediments, it creates a suspension in the water, scattering light and causing it to appear blue. The combination of glacial milk and the reflective properties of the suspended rock flour particles results in lakes such as Lake Moraine and Lake Louise exibiting breathtaking shades of blue.
The Great Lakes Biggest PredatorMichigan's biggest predator in the Great Lakes is a Sea Lamprey. In the very famous words of Randy Jackson, it's going to be a no for me dawg.
Alligators are rarely found in the Great Lakes. Although some alligators thrive in freshwater, it's just too cold in the north for them to survive. They don't typically live farther north than North Carolina. It's unclear how the alligator arrived to Lake Michigan.
They Physically Can't. Sharks literally just can't get to the Great Lakes. While they can hang out in the Great Barrier Reef, there are a few barriers like an electrical one in Chicago, locks and dams in the Illinois River and even Niagra Falls, as Great Lakes Guide said.
Spending time in natural bodies of water—like oceans, lakes, and rivers—is a great way to enjoy the outdoors with family and friends. While this can help you stay active, it is important to know that the water we swim, play, wade, and relax in can also spread germs and make you, and those you care about, sick.
The Blue Lake, New ZealandScientists in 2011 found out that this is the clearest lake in the world. The waterbody is fed by another glacial lake, which is free of debris.