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Climate change study: Lake Superior one of world’s fastest warming lakes

Lake Superior shore at Porcupine Mountains photo
Chris Heald
/
flickr creative commons
Lake Superior temperatures have been increasing about 2 degrees fahrenheit per decade.

New research suggests that the world’s lakes are experiencing dramatic temperature shifts due to climate change. So, how will our own Great Lakes fare in a warming climate? We talk to John Lenters, a researcher at the water science consulting firm LimnoTech to find out.

When you think about global warming, melting ice caps probably come to mind, or an image of a polar bear adrift. But the reality of climate change hits much closer to home. Recent research suggests that the world’s lakes are warming much more rapidly than the ocean. That includes several of the Great Lakes.

To learn more about how climate change is impacting our state’s defining features, Current State talks with LimnoTech researcher John Lenters.

This segment is supported by Michigan State University's Knight Center for Environmental Journalism. More news about the Great Lakes environment can be found at GreatLakesEcho.org and on Current State every Tuesday as part of our partnership.

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