MSGID: 1:317/3 643ae665   
   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   April 15, 2023 - Spring Thaw across the Great Lakes   
      
      Great Lakes   
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      The spring thaw was sweeping across the Great Lakes of the United   
      States and Canada in mid-April 2023. The Moderate Resolution Imaging   
      Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board NASA’s Terra satellite acquired a   
      true-color image of the seasonal shift on April 13.   
      
      A distinct snowline stretches across the image, marking the boundary   
      between warmer air and ground temperatures and the remaining wintery   
      chill. Snow has vanished from most of the ground south of the   
      Canada-United States border, except for the northern portion of   
      Minnesota, Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, all south of   
      Lake Superior. No ice remains on any of the Great Lakes—not   
      particularly surprising since ice was scarce all winter. According to   
      the U.S. National Ice Center, the Great Lakes experienced maximum ice   
      coverage for the 2022-2023 ice season on February 4. At that time, the   
      coverage was estimated to be approximately 23. 35%, which is   
      significantly lower than the average maximum of 53% and occurred   
      approximately one month earlier than normal.   
      
      Lake Erie stands out among the five Great Lakes, wearing a bright wash   
      of milky blues and greens. The colorful swirls may originate from   
      several sources, such as sediment carried into the lake from rivers and   
      streams. Strong spring winds sometimes churn the water strongly enough   
      to pull sand and silt from the bottom of shallow Lake Erie, where it   
      then floats in suspension. The chalky color may even be due to a   
      whiting event, which is triggered when changes in water chemistry allow   
      the naturally-occurring calcium carbonate normally dissolved in the   
      lake water to precipitate (change into solid form) and become visible.   
      Finally, the greenish tones are suggested of microscopic algae   
      (phytoplankton) blooms, which frequently occur in the lake, but   
      normally emerge as water warms in the summer.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 4/13/2023   
      Resolutions:  1km (2.5 MB),  500m (7.6 MB),  250m (14.7 MB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2023-04-15   
       
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