5 things you need to know about the Great Lakes right now
- A strange, ice-free winter is breaking records across the Great Lakes, with less than 3% ice cover in January for the first time in history, alarming scientists and disrupting local ecosystems.
- A massive, previously unknown deep-water sinkhole was just discovered in Lake Huron, filled with ancient microbial lifeforms that could hold clues to extraterrestrial survival.
- The Great Lakes are being weaponized in a new political fight over water rights as the U.S. and Canada face a brewing crisis over drought-driven diversion plans.
- Swimmers and boaters are being warned about a surge in dangerous "seiche" waves, caused by rapid atmospheric pressure shifts, that have already flipped several vessels this season.
- A hidden shipwreck from the 1800s, perfectly preserved by the cold, fresh water, has been found near the surface in Lake Michigan, drawing treasure hunters and historians alike.