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Ep421: The Great Lakes · Kidcast Daily

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  Spin the wheel, let's take a ride.
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  Sports and science bursting from inside a world of wonder.
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  Open wide. Come on kids, let's amplify kid
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  cats. Daily starts your day, Fun and
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  laughter come your way. Sports and Trinia games galore.
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  Hello brilliant minds. This is Kick Cast Daily, your
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  favorite stop for sports highlights, science, wonders,
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  history, facts, and trivia that'll impress your friends.
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  Today we're exploring a giant freshwater neighborhood in North
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  America known as the Great Lakes.
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  We'll learn what they are, how they formed, how people use them
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  every day, and what amazing living things call them home.
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  We'll even test your brain with a few questions, so let's get on
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  with today's episode. First, picture a chain of five
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  huge lakes connected by rivers and straits near the border
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  between the United States and Canada.
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  These are Lake Superior, Lake MI, Lake Huron, Lake Erie, and
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  Lake Ontario. Together they hold about 1/5 of
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  all the fresh surface water on Earth.
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  That means a lot of the water people drink, use in homes, and
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  enjoy for fun like swimming and boating comes from this system.
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  Here's a quick challenge to warm up your brain.
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  Which Great Lake is the only one that sits entirely within a
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  single country? The answer is Lake MI.
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  It is entirely within the United States, while the other four are
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  shared between the United States and Canada.
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  Now how did something this big come to be?
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  The Great Lakes formed at the end of the last Ice Age,
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  thousands of years ago when massive sheets of ice moved
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  across the land, carved deep basins, and then melted, filling
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  those basins with water. As the ice retreated, it left
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  behind sand, rocks and clay. That is why you see sandy
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  beaches, rocky shorelines and cliffs in different places along
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  the lakes today. Did you know the deepest point
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  in the Great Lakes is in Lake Superior, reaching about 1332
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  feet down? That is taller than many
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  skyscrapers if you stacked them floor by floor.
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  Each lake has a personality shaped by size, depth, and
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  location. Lake Superior is the largest by
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  surface area and also the coldest on average.
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  Lake MI is the only one fully in the United States with famous
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  dunes like those at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
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  Lake Huron has many islands, including Manitoulin Island,
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  which is the largest island in a freshwater lake.
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  Lake Erie is the shallowest, which helps it warm up faster in
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  summer. Lake Ontario at the eastern end
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  is smaller in surface area but very deep.
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  Do you think ships can travel from these lakes all the way to
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  the Atlantic Ocean? Yes, ships use the Saint
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  Lawrence Seaway, a system of canals and locks that lift and
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  lower ships to match different water levels, letting cargo like
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  grain, iron ore and steel move between inland cities and the
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  ocean. Time for another question.
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  How many U.S. states touch at least one of the Great Lakes?
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  8 states. They are Minnesota, Wisconsin,
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  Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New
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  York. On the Canadian side, the
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  province of Ontario borders 4 of the lakes.
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  This wide reach is why so many major cities grew on the shores,
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  including Chicago and Milwaukee on Lake MI, Detroit on the
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  Detroit River between Huron and Erie, Cleveland on Lake Erie,
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  Toronto on Lake Ontario, and Buffalo near the Niagara River.
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  Speaking of connections, water flows through the system like a
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  long path. Lake Superior drains into Lake
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  Huron through the Saint Mary's River.
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  Lake MI and Lake Huron connect at the Straits of Mackinac, and
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  because they are at the same water level, scientists
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  sometimes treat them as one system called Lake MI Huron.
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  Water travels from Lake Huron to Lake Erie through the Saint
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  Clair River and Lake Saint Clair, and then to Lake Ontario
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  through the Niagara River. Niagara Falls is on that river
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  where the water drops dramatically before continuing
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  toward the St. Lawrence River and the Atlantic.
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  Let's try a yes or no mystery about surprising lake behavior.
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  Do the Great Lakes ever create small standing waves that cause
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  the water level to rise and fall in minutes along the shore?
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  Yes. These are called sashes.
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  Sudden changes in air pressure and wind can set water rocking
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  back and forth in a lake basin, and water levels at a harbor can
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  swing up or down quickly. Now here's something you can
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  imagine in a day-to-day way. If you live near a lake, you
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  might notice weather changes. The Great Lakes affect weather
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  for millions of people. In winter, when cold air passes
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  over warmer open water, the lakes add moisture to the air.
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  When that air reaches land, it can drop heavy snow, called lake
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  effect snow, on areas downwind. In summer, the lakes act like
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  giant coolers that can make lakeside towns a bit cooler than
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  places farther inland. Did you know some shoreline
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  areas can have fog when the air is warmer than the water, which
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  makes driving along the coast require extra care?
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  The lakes are also important for drinking water.
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  Around 30 million people in the United States and Canada use the
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  Great Lakes as a source of freshwater.
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  Cities clean and filter lake water at treatment plants to
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  make it safe for households, schools and hospitals.
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  Beyond drinking, the lakes power businesses and farms.
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  Ships carry raw materials and finished goods, helping
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  factories and stores. Fishing supports jobs, bait
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  shops, boat marinas and restaurants.
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  Let's ask a deeper science question that teaches a new
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  concept. Which Great Lake keeps a drop of
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  water the longest, meaning it has the longest residence time?
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  Lake Superior On average, a drop of water can stay in Lake
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  Superior for around 2 centuries before it flows out.
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  That slow turnover is because the lake is enormous and the
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  inflow and outflow are relatively small compared to its
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  volume. Aquatic life in the Great Lakes
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  is busy and diverse. Native fish include lake trout,
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  walleye, yellow perch, and whitefish.
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  There are also salmon that are stocked for sport fishing.
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  Plants like wild rice in certain bays and underwater grasses
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  provide habitat for fish and insects.
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  Wetlands at the edges act like natural filters, trapping
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  sediment and helping keep water clearer.
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  Did you know the Great Lakes region is also a major stopover
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  for migrating birds like sandhill cranes and many kinds
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  of warblers? During spring and fall, people
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  love to visit the lakes. Families swim at beaches, build
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  sand castles and walk on Piers to watch waves.
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  Sailboats, kayaks and paddle boards are popular in summer.
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  In winter, when conditions allow and ice is thick and officially
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  declared safe by local authorities, people ice fish in
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  designated areas. Parks such as Pictured Rocks
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  National Lakeshore on Lake Superior and Presque Isle State
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  Park on Lake Erie welcome hikers and photographers.
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  Lighthouses guide boats into harbors at night or during fog.
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  Did you know Michigan has more lighthouses than any other US
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  state, many of them on the Great Lakes?
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  With so much activity, caring for this water is a big
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  community job. Crews maintain harbors, clean up
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  trash and monitor water quality. Scientists track algae growth,
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  water temperatures and the movement of invasive species
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  like zebra mussels and sea lampreys, which can harm native
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  fish. Boaters are encouraged to clean
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  their equipment to avoid moving unwanted plants and animals from
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  1 Lake to another beach. Signs tell swimmers about
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  conditions such as strong currents near river mouths or
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  Piers. Simple steps like using
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  refillable water bottles, picking up litter, and staying
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  on marked trails help protect shorelines.
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  Let's do a couple more quick checks to add brand new facts to
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  your toolbox. Is there an international border
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  running through four of the five Great Lakes?
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  Yes. Superior, Huron, Erie and
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  Ontario are shared by the United States and Canada, while
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  Michigan is entirely in the United States.
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  Here is a location Riddle in question form to teach another
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  new fact. Which Great Lakes shoreline has
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  the tallest freshwater coastal dunes in the world, reaching
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  more than 400 feet above the water in places Lake MI.
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  The tallest dunes are along the eastern side, including areas
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  near Silver Lake and Sleeping Bear.
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  The Great Lakes watershed is the land area where rain and snow
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  eventually flow into the lakes through streams and rivers.
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  That includes forests, farms, towns and cities.
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  When rain falls on a parking lot, it can wash oil and litter
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  into a storm drain and from there to a river and the lake.
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  That is why communities build rain gardens, plant trees and
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  create green roofs to soak up water before it rushes into
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  drains. Did you know some cities
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  separate storm water from sanitary sewers to reduce the
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  chance that heavy rain overwhelms treatment plants?
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  Safety is part of enjoying the lakes.
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  Weather can change quickly, so people check forecasts, watch
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  for flags at beaches and wear properly fitted life jackets
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  when boating. Cold water can be dangerous even
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  on a sunny day. RIP currents can form near
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  structures like break walls and Piers.
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  Learning how to stay calm, float and signal for help is part of
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  water safety education. Before we wrap up, here is a
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  final quick yes or no question that brings in a fresh detail.
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  Can freighters longer than two football fields regularly carry
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  iron? Or across Lake Superior from
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  Minnesota to steel mills near the lower lakes?
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  Yes, these large ships, often called Lakers, move bulk cargo
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  such as iron or pellets, coal and limestone between ports like
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  Duluth, Cleveland and Gary. Let's recap what you learned
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  today. The Great Lakes are 5 huge
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  freshwater lakes formed by ancient ice holding a large
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  share of the world's surface freshwater.
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  Their names are Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie and
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  Ontario. Water flows through them in a
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  chain and out to the Atlantic, with locks and canals helping
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  ships travel. The lakes shapeweather support
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  shipping and fishing and provide drinking water for millions.
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  They're home to many fish, birds and plants, and they offer
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  parks, beaches, and lighthouses for visitors.
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  Communities protect them through science cleanup and smart design
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  for rain and runoff. You also discovered new facts
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  through questions about Lake MI being entirely in one country.
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  The number of U.S. states that border the lakes, Long residence
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  time in Lake Superior, Seychelles, international
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  borders on the lakes, Giant dunes on Lake MI and big
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  freighters carrying ore. That is a lot of knowledge
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  packed into one episode. Thanks for listening and keep
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  your curiosity active the next time you see a map of the Great
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  Lakes or visit a shoreline.