From Climate Ark:
Climate change blamed for Great Lakes decline
Source: Copyright 2009, Globe and Mail
Date: December 15, 2009
Original URL
The water levels of Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have been falling steadily compared with those on Lake Erie, and no one knew why.
But a major report financed by the U.S. and Canadian governments suggests an answer: The fingerprints of climate change are starting to be found in the Great Lakes, the world's largest body of fresh water, causing a discernible drop in their levels.
The report, released Tuesday, estimated that Lake Huron and Lake Michigan have fallen about a quarter metre relative to Lake Erie since the early 1960s, with 40 to 74 per cent of the reduction due to recent changes in precipitation patterns and temperatures.
The alteration in climate is "the most significant factor' in the water level drop and "could be a more substantive issue for the future on the Great Lakes,' said Ted Yuzyk, Canadian co-chair of the International Upper Great Lakes Study Board, which compiled the report.Read more....
From The Detroit News electronic edition December 19, 2009: