Great Lakes

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References & Edit History Related Topics

Images & Videos

The Great Lakes and their drainage basin

The video thumbnail image shows two hands holding zebra and quagga mussels, superimposed above a clear body of water. White question marks appear in the upper left corner.

Lake Michigan shoreline

St. Lawrence hydrographic system

For Students

Lake Michigan shoreline

Great Lakes summary

Read Next

Lake Issyk-kul kyrgyzstan

9 of the World’s Deepest Lakes

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Banff National Park. Aerial view of Lake Louise in Banff National Park, Alberta, Canada. Aerial perspective.

Canada: 10 Claims to Fame

Discover

Artist interpretation of space asteroids impacting earth and moon. Meteoroids, meteor impact, end of the world, danger, destruction, dinosaur extinct, Judgement Day, Doomsday Predictions, comet

Major Mass Extinctions

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Why We Celebrate MLK Day

Salem Witch Trials. Photogravure after the painting by Walter McEwen titled - The Witches - circa 1890s.

How Rye Bread May Have Caused the Salem Witch Trials

The Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-3, 1863. (Civil War, Pennsylvania)

9 Worst Generals in History

Close up of praying mantis walking on stone ground against a blurred background in Japan

6 Animals That Eat Their Mates

pulmonary veins and arteries, circulation, cardiovascular system, human anatomy, (Netter replacement project - SSC)

13 Questions About How the Human Body Works Answered

Time zone map with standard time zones and International Date Line

Why Are Some Time Zones 30 Minutes Off Instead of an Hour?

Great Lakes: Related Content

Written and fact-checked by The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Jun 08, 2025

News •

Wildfire Smoke Brings More Hazardous Air Quality to Great Lakes and Beyond • June 7, 2025, 8:29 AM ET (New York Times)

Arrival of cruise ships in Thunder Bay, Ont., marks start of summer on the Great Lakes • June 2, 2025, 11:13 AM ET (CBC)

Canada Wildfires Causing Poor Air Quality Across US • June 1, 2025, 4:02 AM ET (The Weather Channel)

Army Corps analysis finds Great Lakes pipeline tunnel would have sweeping environmental impacts • May 31, 2025, 6:46 AM ET (ABC News (U.S.))

June Temperature Forecast: Hotter-Than-Average In Northeast, Great Lakes And West • May 30, 2025, 2:50 AM ET (The Weather Channel)

Photos and Videos

The Great Lakes and their drainage basin

Lake Michigan shoreline

St. Lawrence hydrographic system

The video thumbnail image shows two hands holding zebra and quagga mussels, superimposed above a clear body of water. White question marks appear in the upper left corner.

See All Videos and Images →

Topics

Lake Tahoe Salton Sea Crater Lake Lake Superior Great Salt Lake Lake Erie Lake Michigan Lake Ontario Lake Mead Lake Champlain

Quiz

water glass on white background. (drink; clear; clean water; liquid)

Water and its Varying Forms

Shallow staghorn water corals in fringing reef at low tide in Thailand. (coral reefs; endangered area; ocean habitat; sea habitat; coral reef)

Unknown Waters

List

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up

Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.

6 Lakes That Are Drying Up