Is it possible to have a tsunami in the Great Lakes?
Thankfully, though, a REAL tsunami is VERY unlikely on the Great Lakes, as there are no major fault lines that run underneath them that could cause earthquakes. But that doesn't mean, big waves aren't out of the question on them.
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Complex geology, seismicity, broad shallow bathymetry, and a large range of historic water level fluctuations in the lake pose significant seismic and wind induced flooding hazards, including tsunami and seiche.
Threats to the Great Lakes' ecosystems, include invasive species, climate change, pollution, and habitat destruction. Climate change affects water temperatures, weather patterns, and lake levels.
In most cases, lakes are confined to smaller fetches which limit wave size, but the Great Lakes are large enough to produce frequent swells up to several metres. However, the highest ever recorded waves were 8.7 metres, outside of Marquette, Michigan, on Lake Superior.
The Great Lakes are more than capable of generating waves over 10 feet high, despite being smaller than our oceans. This lack in size actually increases the danger over the water. This is because the wave period in the Great Lakes (the time between two wave crests) is much shorter than in the ocean.
True tides—changes in water level caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and moon—do occur in a semi-diurnal (twice daily) pattern on the Great Lakes. Studies indicate that the Great Lakes spring tide, the largest tides caused by the combined forces of the sun and moon, is less than five centimeters in height.
In most cases, lakes are confined to smaller fetches which limit wave size, but the Great Lakes are large enough to produce frequent swells up to several metres. However, the highest ever recorded waves were 8.7 metres, outside of Marquette, Michigan, on Lake Superior.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency, for example, describes them as “vast inland freshwater seas.” A seminal 2017 paper in Limnology and Oceanography, authored by some of the most influential researchers studying the lakes, also refers to them as 'inland seas.