Context:
Researchers recently surveyed the bottom of Lake Michigan after spotting strange circles on the lakebed in 2022, and new observations show the circles are craters.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
Lake Michigan
- Size and Ranking: Lake Michigan is the third largest among the Great Lakes of North America and the only one situated entirely within the United States.
- Global Standing: It is the fourth largest freshwater lake by surface area and the fifth largest lake globally.
- Dimensions: The lake stretches 321 miles (517 km) from north to south and has a maximum width of 118 miles (190 km).
- Drainage Basin: Lake Michigan has a drainage basin covering an area of 45,600 square miles (118,095 square km).
- Connection to Lake Huron: It is directly linked to Lake Huron through the Straits of Mackinac, which helps maintain water level equilibrium between the two lakes, making them behave like a single lake.
- River Inflows: Numerous rivers flow into Lake Michigan, including the Fox-Wolf, Grand, St. Joseph, and Kalamazoo rivers, which are part of the lake’s extensive drainage basin.
- Natural Habitats: Lake Michigan supports diverse natural habitats such as tallgrass prairies, savannas, and contains the largest freshwater sand dunes in the world.
- Biodiversity: The lake is home to a rich variety of flora and fauna, including several rare and endangered species like the Hine’s Emerald Dragonfly and the Dwarf Lake Iris.
-Source: The Hindu
