| Lake Ontario | |
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| Location | Great Lakes |
| Coordinates | |
| Primary inflows | Niagara River |
| Primary outflows | St. Lawrence River |
| Basin countries | Canada, United States |
| Max. Ontario Lacus is a methane-ethane Lake near the south pole of Saturn 's moon Titan. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. In Hydrology, the inflow of a Body of water is the source of the Water in the body of water The Niagara River flows to the north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. In Hydrology, the discharge or outflow of a River is the volume of Water transported by it in a certain amount of time Saint Lawrence River (in French: fleuve Saint-Laurent; Kahnawáˀkye in Tuscarora, Kaniatarowanenneh meaning big waterway A drainage basin is an extent of Land where Water from Rain or Snow melt drains downhill into a body of water such as a River, length | 193 mi (311 km) |
| Max. width | 53 mi (85 km) |
| Surface area | 7,540 sq mi (19,500 km²) [1] |
| Average depth | 283 ft (86 m) |
| Max. depth | 802 ft (244 m) [1] |
| Water volume | 393 cu mi (1,640 km³) |
| Residence time (of lake water) | 6 years |
| Shore length1 | 712 mi (1,146 km) |
| Surface elevation | 246 ft (75 m)[1] |
| Settlements | Toronto, Ontario, Rochester, New York |
| References | [1] |
| 1 Shore length is not a well-defined measure. A cubic mile is an Imperial / US customary (non- SI non- metric) unit of Volume, used in the United States. CM3 redirects here If you were looking for the 3rd game in the Cooking Mama series abbreviated as CM3 see here. Lake retention time (also called the Residence time of lake water or the water age or flushing time) is a calculated quantity expressing the Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous | |
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. The Laurentian Great Lakes are a chain of freshwater lakes located in eastern North America, on the Canada–United States border. The lake is bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontario's Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, U. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Ontario, Canada lying on the south shore of Lake Ontario. New York ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States and is the nation's third most populous S.
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Name
The lake's name is derived from ontarí:io, a Huron word meaning "great lake". Wyandot is the Iroquoian language traditionally spoken by the people known variously as Wyandot, Wendat or Huron [2] The Canadian province of Ontario was later named after the lake.
The lake was previously identified in some maps under different names. In a map drawn in the Relation des Jésuites (1662-1663), the lake has the legend "Lac Ontario ou des Iroquois" and in smaller type "Ondiara". A French map produced in 1712 (currently in the Canadian Museum of Civilization), created by military engineer Jean-Baptiste de Couagne, identified Lake Ontario as "Lac Frontenac". Iroquois people called the lake "Skanadario. "
Geography
Lake Ontario (43. 7° N, 77. 9° W) is the eastern-most and smallest in surface area (7,540 square miles, 19,529 km²)[1] of the Great Lakes, although it exceeds Lake Erie in volume (393 cubic miles, 1639 km³). Lake Erie (ˈɪəriː is the fourth largest Lake (by surface area of the five Great Lakes, and the tenth largest globally To help compare different Orders of magnitudes this page lists Volumes between 1000 and 1 million cubic Kilometres (10^{12} to 10^{15} It is the 14th largest lake in the world and has a shoreline 712 miles (1146 km) long.
Lake Ontario has an elevation of 246 feet (75 m)[1] above sea level. Its length is 193 miles (311 km), and its width is 53 miles (85 km). The average depth is 283 feet (86 m), with a maximum depth of 802 feet (244 m). [1]
Its primary inlet is the Niagara River (from Lake Erie) and primary outlet is the St. Lawrence River. The Niagara River flows to the north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Saint Lawrence River (in French: fleuve Saint-Laurent; Kahnawáˀkye in Tuscarora, Kaniatarowanenneh meaning big waterway Other major rivers which flow into it include the Don River; Humber River; Trent River; the Cataraqui River; the Genesee River; the Oswego River; the Black River; and the Salmon River. This article is about the river in Toronto Canada For other rivers with the same name see Don River (disambiguation. This article is about the river in Toronto Ontario Canada Links to other rivers of the same name can be found here. The Trent River is a River in southeastern Ontario which flows from Rice Lake to empty into the Bay of Quinte on Lake Ontario The Cataraqui River (pronounced "ka-tah-RAH-kway" forms the lower portion of the Rideau Canal and drains into Lake Ontario at Kingston Ontario The Genesee River's ( Čunehstí•yu• in Tuscarora) name is derived from the Seneca tribe word meaning good valley or pleasant valley The Oswego River is a River in upstate New York in the United States. The Black River is a blackwater River that empties into the eastern end of Lake Ontario on the shore of Jefferson County New York in the The Salmon River arises in north central New York State on the Tug Hill Plateau to the east of Lake Ontario. Other notable geographic features include Hamilton Harbour, the Bay of Quinte, the Toronto Islands, and the Thousand Islands. Burlington Bay, also known as Hamilton Harbour is a branch of Lake Ontario bounded on the northwest by the City of Burlington, on the south by the City of The Bay of Quinte is on the northern shore of Lake Ontario. Located about 200 kilometers east of Toronto and 400 west of Montreal, the Bay of Quinte The Toronto Islands are a chain of small Islands in Lake Ontario. The Thousand Islands is the name of an archipelago of Islands that straddle the U The Bay of Quinte separates most of Prince Edward County from the north shore except for a 2 mile (3km) stretch of land connecting it to the mainland. Prince Edward County is a single-tier Municipality and a Census division of the Canadian province of Ontario. The largest island on the lake is Wolfe Island located near Kingston at the St. Kingston Ontario is a Canadian city located at the eastern end of Lake Ontario, where the lake runs into the St Lawrence River entrance. It is accessible by ferry from both Canada and the U. S.
A portion of the Great Lakes Waterway passes through the lake, which is accessible from upstream by the Welland Canal and from downstream by the St. Lawrence Seaway. The Great Lakes Waterway is a system of channels and Canals that makes all of the Great Lakes accessible to oceangoing vessels The Welland Canal is a Ship canal that runs 42 km (270 Miles from Port Colborne Ontario on Lake Erie to Port The St Lawrence Seaway is the common name for a system of Canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes The Trent-Severn Waterway for pleasure boats connects Lake Ontario at the Bay of Quinte to Georgian Bay of Lake Huron passing through the inland Lake Simcoe. This article is not about the British company Severn Trent Water. Georgian Bay (French baie Georgienne) is a large bay of Lake Huron, located in Ontario, Canada. Lake Huron, bounded on the west by the US state of Michigan, and on the east by the province of Ontario, Canada, is one of the five Great Lake Simcoe is a Lake in southern Ontario, Canada, the twelfth-largest lake in the province The Rideau Waterway, also for pleasure boats, connects Lake Ontario at Kingston to the Ottawa River at Ottawa. The Rideau Canal, also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston This is about the river in Canada For other uses see Ottawa River (disambiguation. Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. The Oswego Canal connects the lake at Oswego to the New York State Canal System, with outlets to the Hudson River, Lake Erie, and Lake Champlain. The Oswego Canal is a Canal in the New York State Canal System located in New York, United States. Oswego is a City in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18096 at the 2000 census. The New York State Canal System (formerly known as the New York State Barge Canal) is a successor to the Erie Canal and other Canals within New York The Hudson River, called Muh-he-kun-ne-tuk, the Great Mohegan by the Iroquois, or as the Lenape Native Americans called it in Unami Lake Champlain (French lac Champlain) is a natural freshwater Lake in North America, located mainly within the borders of the United States
A large conurbation called the Golden Horseshoe (including major cities of Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario) is on the Canadian side at the western end of the lake. A conurbation is an Urban area or Agglomeration comprising a number of Cities, large Towns and larger urban areas that through Population As far as I know the Golden Horseshoe is ancient history and this page should be renamed (or forwarded to to Greater Golden Horseshoe now that Statistics Canada is (finally using the same Toronto (təˈrɒntoʊ colloquially pronounced or) is the largest city in Canada and is the provincial capital of Ontario Hamilton (ˈhæməltən ( 2006 population 504559 UA population 647634 CMA population Other centres on the Canadian side with ports include St. Catharines, Oshawa, Cobourg and Kingston near the St. Cobourg (2006 population 18210 is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located 110km east of Toronto. Lawrence River inlet. Close to 9 million people or over a quarter of Canada's population lives within the watershed of Lake Ontario.
The American shore of the lake is largely rural, with the exception of Rochester, New York and the much smaller port at Oswego, New York. Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York State, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Oswego is a City in Oswego County, New York, United States. The population was 18096 at the 2000 census. The city of Syracuse is 40 miles (65 km) inland from the lakeshore and is connected to it by the New York State Canal System. Syracuse (locally ˈsɛrəkjuːs sometimes ˈsɪrəkjuːs or /ˈsɪərəkjuːs/ by non-natives is a city in Central New York, USA. Over 2 million people live in Lake Ontario's American watershed.
A high-speed passenger/vehicle ferry service across Lake Ontario between Toronto and Rochester was launched on June 17, 2004, using the vessel Spirit of Ontario I. Events 1462 - Vlad III the Impaler attempts to assassinate Mehmed II ( The Night Attack) forcing him to retreat "MMIV" redirects here For the Modest Mouse album see " Baron von Bullshit Rides Again " Spirit of Ontario I is the former name of Tanger Jet II, an Auto Express 86 Class wave piercing catamaran passenger-vehicle ferry constructed The service was canceled on January 10, 2006. Events 49 BC - Julius Caesar crosses the Rubicon, signaling the start of civil war. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar.
On the south shore, breezes off the cool lake tend to retard fruit bloom until the spring frost danger is past, and the area has become a major fruit growing area, with apples, cherries, pears, plums, and peaches grown in many commercial orchards on both sides of Rochester. The apple is the pomaceous Fruit of the apple tree Species Malus domestica in the Rose family Rosaceae. This article is about the Cherry berry also classified as fruit for the ornamental tree See Cherry Blossom. A pear is a pomaceous Fruit produced by a tree of Genus Pyrus. A plum or gage is a stone fruit Tree in the genus Prunus, subgenus Prunus. The peach ( Prunus persica) is a species of Prunus native to China that bears an edible juicy fruit also called a peach An orchard is an intentional planting of Trees or Shrubs maintained for Food production. The Canadian part of the south shore, known as the Niagara Peninsula is also a major fruit-growing and wine-making area located between Stoney Creek and Niagara-on-the-Lake. Wine is an Alcoholic beverage made from the fermentation of Grape juice See also Stoney Creek (electoral district Stoney Creek is a community (formerly a municipality which is now part of Hamilton after amalgamation Apple varieties that tolerate a more extreme climate are grown on the lake's north shore, around Cobourg. Cobourg (2006 population 18210 is a town in the Canadian province of Ontario, located 110km east of Toronto.
Geology
The lake was carved out of soft, weak Silurian rocks by the Wisconsonian ice age glacier, which expanded the preglacial Ontarian River valley of approximately the same orientation. The Silurian is a geologic period and system that extends from the end of the Ordovician period about 443 "Last glacial" redirects here For the period of maximum glacier extent during this time see Last Glacial Maximum The last glacial period An ice age is a period of long-term reduction in the Temperature of the Earth 's surface and atmosphere resulting in an expansion of continental Ice sheets "Glacial" and "Glaciation" redirect here For the geological periods see Glacial period. The Ontarian River is the term used for the pre-glacial river that began the creation of the valley in Silurian age Shales and Limestones now occupied by The material that was pushed southward was piled in central and western New York in the form of drumlins, kames, and moraines, which reorganized entire drainage systems. A drumlin (Irish droimnín, a little hill ridge is an elongated whale-shaped Hill formed by glacial action A kame is a geological feature an irregularly shaped Hill or Mound composed of Sand, Gravel and Till that accumulates Moraine refers to any glacially formed accumulation of unconsolidated glacial debris (soil and rock which can occur in currently glaciated and formerly glaciated regions such as those As the glacier retreated from New York, it still dammed the present St. Lawrence valley, so that the lake was at a higher level. This state is known as Lake Iroquois. Glacial Lake Iroquois was a prehistoric Proglacial lake that existed at the end of the last Ice age approximately 13000 years ago During that time the lake drained through present-day Syracuse, New York into the Mohawk River. The Mohawk River is a long River in the US state of New York. The old shoreline that was created during this lake stage can be easily recognized by the (now dry) beaches and wave-cut hills 10 to 25 miles (15 to 40 km) south of the present shoreline.
When the glacier finally melted from the St. Sandbanks Provincial Park is a Provincial park located on Lake Ontario in Prince Edward County near Picton, Ontario, Canada Lawrence valley, the outlet was below sea level, and the lake became for a short time a bay of the ocean. Mean sea level (MSL is the average (mean height of the Sea, with reference to a suitable reference surface Headlands and bays are two related features of the coastal environment An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. Gradually the land rebounded from the release of the weight of about 6,500 feet (2000 m) of ice that had been stacked on it. Post-glacial rebound (sometimes called continental rebound, isostatic rebound, isostatic adjustment or post-ice-age isostatic recovery) It is still rebounding about 12 inches (30 cm) per century in the St. Lawrence area. Since the ice left that area last, that is the area where the most rapid rebound still is occurring. This means that the lake bed is gradually tilting southward, inundating the south shore and turning river valleys into bays. Both north and south shores have shoreline erosion, but the tilting amplifies this effect on the south shore, causing loss to property owners.
History
The lake was a border between the Huron and their vassals and the Iroquois Confederacy in pre-European times. "Huron" redirects here For other uses see Huron (disambiguation. The Iroquois Confederacy (also known as the "League of Peace and Power" the "Five Nations" the "Six Nations" or the "People of the Longhouse The first documented European to reach the lake was Étienne Brûlé in 1615. Étienne Brûlé ( c 1592 ( Champigny-sur-Marne, France) &ndash c Artifacts which are believed to be of Norse origin have been found in the area, indicating possible earlier visits by Europeans, but as yet unproven. The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe called the Nordic region, consisting of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, A series of trading posts was established by both the British and French, such as Fort Oswego in 1722 and Fort Rouillé 1750 (in Toronto). Fort Oswego was an important Frontier post for British traders in the 18th century Fort Rouillé was a French Trading post located in Toronto Ontario, which was established around 1750 but abandoned in 1759 After the French and Indian War, all the forts were under British control. The French and Indian War (1754&ndash1763 was the North American chapter of the Seven Years' War. This remained the case even in the years following the American Revolution until the signing of the Jay Treaty in 1794, when forts on the U. The Jay Treaty, also known as the Treaty of London of 1794, between the United States and Great Britain averted war solved many issues left over from S. side of lake became American. Permanent, non-military European settlement began during the American Revolution and occurred before the other great lakes. In this article the inhabitants of the thirteen colonies that supported the American Revolution are primarily referred to as "Americans" with occasional references to "Patriots" It became a hub of commercial activity following the War of 1812 with canal building on both sides of the border and was heavily traveled by lake steamers, which reached their peak activity in the mid-19th century before competition from railway lines. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies
Ecology
Effects of the climate on the lake
The lake has a natural seiche rhythm of eleven minutes. Seiche is also a French term for a type of Cuttlefish (Sepiida The seiche effect normally is only about ¾ inches (2 cm) but can be greatly amplified by earth movement, winds, and atmospheric pressure changes.
Because of its great depth, the entire lake rarely freezes in winter. During the winter months, the lake typically develops an ice sheet covering between 10% and 90% of the lake area depending on the severity of the winter. Ice sheets typically form along the shoreline and in slack water bays, where the lake is not as deep. The winters of 1977 through 1981 were especially severe, and ice sheet coverage was up to 95-100% in some eastern sections of the lake.
When the cold winds of winter pass over the warmer water of the lake, they pick up moisture and drop it as lake effect snow. Lake-effect snow is produced in the winter when cold Arctic winds move across long expanses of warmer lake water providing energy and picking up Water vapor which freezes Since the prevailing winter winds are from the northwest, the southern and southeastern shoreline of the lake is referred to as the snowbelt. The snowbelt is a North American region much of which lies downwind of the Great Lakes where heavy Snowfall is particularly common on predominately eastern and southern In some winters the area between Oswego and Pulaski may receive twenty or more feet (600 cm) of snowfall. Pulaski is a Village in Oswego County, New York, United States. Also impacted by lake effect snow is the Tug Hill Plateau, an area of elevated land that is about 20 miles to the east of Lake Ontario. Tug Hill's elevation, along with ample moisture from the lake, creates ideal conditions for snowfall. The "Hill", as it is often referred to, typically receives more snow than any other region in the eastern United States. As a result, Tug Hill is a popular location for winter enthusiasts, such as snowmobilers and cross-country skiers. The combination of lake-effect snow often reaches inland to Syracuse, which often takes the crown for the most winter snowfall accumulation of any large city in the United States and, on average, receives more snow annually than any other major city in the world. Smaller towns in Michigan's Upper Peninsula like Houghton or Calumet do receive more snow. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is the northern of the two major land masses that comprise the U Houghton is a City in the US state of Michigan 's Upper Peninsula and largest city in the Copper Calumet is a village in Calumet Township, Houghton County, in the U
The lake also produces microclimates, they have the effect of delaying the onset of fall frost (particularly on the south shore) allowing for tender fruit production in a continental climate. Cool onshore winds also retards early bloom of plants and flowers until later in the spring season, protecting them from possible frost damage. Foggy conditions (particularly in fall) can be created by thermal contrasts and can be an impediment for recreational boaters.
In a normal winter, Lake Ontario will be at most one quarter ice-covered, in a mild winter almost completely unfrozen. Lake Ontario has completely frozen over on only two recorded occasions: during the winter of 1874-75, and in February 1934.
Environmental concerns
During modern times, the lake became heavily polluted from industrial chemicals, agricultural fertilizers, untreated sewage such as phosphates in laundry detergents, and chemicals. Pollution is the introduction of contaminants into an environment that causes instability disorder harm or discomfort to the physical systems or living organisms they are in For other uses of this term see Industry (disambiguation An industry (from Latin industrius, "diligent industrious" A chemical substance is a Material with a definite chemical composition. Agriculture refers to the production of goods through the growing of plants and fungi and the raising of domesticated Animals The study of agriculture Fertilizers ( also spelt fertiliser are chemical compounds given to Plants to promote growth they are usually applied either through the soil for uptake by plant Sewage is the mainly liquid Waste containing some solids produced by humans which typically consists of washing water Feces, Urine, laundry waste and other A phosphate, an Inorganic chemical, is a salt of Phosphoric acid. A detergent (as a noun is a material intended to assist Cleaning. A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest. Some pollutant chemicals that have been found in the lake include DDT, benzo(a)pyrene and other pesticides; PCBs, aramite, lead, mirex, mercury, and carbon tetrachloride. DDT (from its trivial name D ichloro- D iphenyl- T richloroethane is one of the best known synthetic Pesticides It is a chemical with a long Benzopyrene, C20H12 is a five-ring Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon that is Mutagenic and highly Carcinogenic It is a crystalline Polychlorinated biphenyls ( PCB s are a class of Organic compounds with 1 to 10 Chlorine atoms attached to Biphenyl which is a molecule composed Characteristics Lead has a dull luster and is a dense, Ductile, very soft highly Mirex has been listed as persistent bioaccumulative and toxic pollutants target by EPA Mercury (ˈmɜrkjʊri also called quicksilver or hydrargyrum, is a Chemical element with the symbol Hg ( Latinized hydrargyrum Carbon tetrachloride, also known by many other names (see Table is the Organic compound with the formula CCl4
By the 1960s and 1970s the lake was dying, with frequent algal blooms occurring in summer. The 1960s decade refers to the years from the beginning of 1960 to the end of 1969 This article is about the Decade 1970-1979 For the Year 1970 see 1970. An algal bloom is a rapid increase in the population of Algae in an aquatic system These blooms killed large numbers of fish, and left decomposing piles of filamentous algae and dead fish along the shores. Fish are aquatic Vertebrate animals that are typically ectothermic (previously Cold-blooded) covered with scales, and equipped with two Algae ( sing. alga are a large and diverse group of simple typically Autotrophic organisms ranging from Unicellular to Multicellular forms At times the blooms became so thick that waves could not break. The lake now contains about 360 chemicals that have been identified, as well as many more unidentified chemical pollutants.
Since the 1960s and 1970s, environmental concerns have forced a cleanup of industrial and municipal wastes. Cleanup has been accomplished through better treatment plants and tighter environmental regulations: Phosphates were banned from detergents, and farm runoff was regulated more closely. Today, Lake Ontario has recovered much of its pristine quality. For example, walleye, a fish species considered as a marker of clean water, are now found. The walleye (common US name or yellow pickerel (Canada ( Sander vitreus vitreus, formerly Stizostedion vitreum vitreum) is a freshwater Perciform The lake has also become an important sport fishery, with introduced Coho and Chinook salmon now thriving there. For the fishing industry and the practice of fishing see Fishing. The Coho salmon, Oncorhynchus kisutch, (from the Russian кижуч kizhuch) is a Species of Anadromous Fish
Invasive species are a problem for Lake Ontario, particularly lamprey and zebra mussels. Introduced species|Weed Invasive species is a phrase with several definitions A lamprey (sometimes also called lamprey eel) is a Jawless fish with a toothed funnel-like sucking mouth The zebra mussel, Dreissena polymorpha, is a Species of small freshwater Mussel, an Aquatic Bivalve Mollusk. Lamprey are being controlled by poisoning in the juvenile stage in the streams where they breed. Zebra mussels in particular are difficult to control, and pose major challenges for the lake and its waterways.
References
See also
External links
- Lake Ontario United
- Lake Ontario Waterkeeper
- EPA's Great Lakes Atlas
- Great Lakes Coast Watch
- Pollution in the Great Lakes
- Lake Ontario Bathymetry
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