Start Date: End Date: Published Date Data Date
Data acquired May 4, 2002 1350 x 1050 293 KB - JPEG
Data acquired May 4, 2002 2700 x 2100 1 MB - JPEG
Data acquired May 4, 2002 5400 x 4200 3 MB - JPEG
The North American Great Lakes are the result of repeated glacial advances and retreats that have occurred over millions of years. Meltwater from the retreat of the vast North American glacier known as the Laurentide Ice Sheet, filled valleys and gouges carved out by the massive weight of glaciers in previous geological eras. These enormous meltwater 3ponds2 were the first stages of the modern Great Lakes, which have continues to change over time.
This MODIS image from May 4, 2002, shows all the lakes: (from left to right) Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario. The murky water in Lake Erie could be calcium carbonate churned up from the lake bottom, which is made of limestone.
Jacques Descloitres, MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA/GSFC
Published May 10, 2002 Data acquired May 4, 2002