Reconstructing Water Levels in the Lake Michigan Basin from Embayed Lakes
1. Reconstructing
Water Levels in
the Lake
Michigan Basin
from Embayed
Lakes
Tim Fisher
Michigan University of Toledo, OH
Wisconsin
Image from: http://www.savannah-weather.com/poes/extra/michigan.jpg
3. Embayed
Lakes Outline
Location
Michigan Lake Level History
Geomorphic Evidence
Sedimentologic Evidence
Working with cores &
geomorphic data to generate
a lake level curve
Eolian sand as a LL proxy
Images from Google Maps
5. L Strandlines of glacial Lake Chicago
Nip
iss
ing
Calume
t
Glenwood
Michigan Lake Level History
6. Late glacial
&
Holocene
lake levels
in the
Lake
Michigan
basin 14
C
Fisher (2002) modified
from Hansel et al. (1985)
7. Two Creeks Site
Logs in lake
sediment and
overlying till
Dated at 11,850
14
C yr BP or
13,600 cal yr BP
till
Lac
.
till
8. >5 0 s ta tm p s /<0 . 1k m 2
14
C D u es
8 12 0 ±10 0 B P
8 3 2 0 ±7 0 B P
8 3 2 0 ±7 0 B P
Olson site
8 3 8 0 ±10 0 B P
~9300 cal yr BP
Olsen site in Lake Michigan, 26 m depth Chrzastowski et al. (1991)
9. Late glacial
&
Holocene
lake levels
in the
Lake
Michigan
basin
Fisher (2002) modified
from Hansel et al. (1985)
22. Coring Targets
Shallow
Barrier-dune Wetland
Lake Michigan Complex
Lake Michigan Barrier-dune Small Lake
Complex
Big lake records preserved in a little lake’s sediment:
34. Figure 6. Contour map of ICE-3G global postglacial r ebound–derived velocities in the Great Lakes area. Contour interval—3 cm/century.
From Mainville & Craymer
(2005) GSA Bull
Figure 7. Contour map of vertical velocities derived from water level gauges over the Great Lakes surrounded with ICE-3G–derived
velocities. Contour inter val—3 cm/century.
35. peat gyttja
Hamlin
Pentwater
Silver
Stony
White
36. Active sand sheet
Cabins at great prices!
Hansen et al. (Aeol R) Exhumed forest
46. Summary
Lake levels at embayed lakes can be reconstructed by:
-Strandline geomorphology
-Drowned Subaerial deposits
-Lacustrine deposits
47. References
Fisher, T. G., and Loope, W. L. 2004. Lake-level variability in Silver Lake, Michigan: A
response to fluctuations in lake levels of Lake Michigan. Michigan Academician
35, 373-385.
Fisher, T. G., and Loope, W. L. 2005. Aeolian sand preserved in Silver lake: A
reliable signal of Holocene high stands of Lake Michigan. The Holocene 15,
1072-1078.
Fisher, T. G., Loope, W. L., Pierce, W. C., and Jol, H. M. 2007. Big lake records
preserved in a little lake’s sediment: an example form Silver Lake, Michigan, USA.
Journal of Paleolimnology 37, 365-382.
Fisher, T. G., Weyer, K. A., Boudreau, A. M., Martin-Hayden, J. M., Krantz, D. E., and
Breckenridge, A. 2012. Constraining Holocene lake levels and coastal dune
activity in the Lake Michigan basin. Journal of Paleolimnology 47, 373-390.
Hansen, E. C., Fisher, T. G., Arbogast, A. F., and Bateman, M. D. 2010. Geomorphic
history of low-perched, transgressive dune complexes along the southeastern
shore of Lake Michigan. Aeolian Research 1, 111-127.
Timmons, E. A., Fisher, T. G., Hansen, E. C., Eiasman, E., Daly, T., and Kashgarian, M.
2007. Elucidating eolian dune history from lacustrine sand records in the Lake
Michigan coastal zone, USA. The Holocene 17, 789-801.
Hinweis der Redaktion
More documentation of the active sand and snow. The upper right photo shows snow on top of fresh sand, which is on top of a frozen crest of sand. The lower left shows a similar sequence, but we didn’t dig down to the frozen crest and note there are more snow layers in the top layer.
The following are pictures documenting the deposition of sand on the lake ice of Lake Michigan showing that the sand is indeed blowing on the lake. Here you can see the dunes in the background with the sand along with some snow deposited here on the ice
Radiocarbon dates were obtained from 3 locations throughout the unit to aid in comparison to the Baedke and Thompson curve. When these results were compared to the Baedke and Thompson curve, there appeared to be a positive correlation between high lake levels and high sand percents.