Scientists reveal the secret of the formation of the Great Lakes of North America

The Great Lakes of North America were formed thanks to a "hot spot" that operated hundreds of millions of years ago. Today, Cape Verde is an island nation in the central Atlantic Ocean.

However, 300 million years ago, this hotspot was located under the territory that would later become part of North America, during the era of the supercontinent Pangaea. News Week writes about it

As scientists explain, the hot spot heated and stretched the earth's crust, forming lowlands. When glaciers moved into the region about 20,000 years ago, they further changed the landscape, leaving depressions that were later filled with meltwater. Today, these lakes contain approximately 20% of all fresh water on the planet.

The authors of the study emphasize that this discovery demonstrates how the Earth's deep processes, which have been going on for millions of years, affect modern geography and ecosystems.

The combination of geological and glacial processes that lasted hundreds of millions of years led to the formation of the Great Lakes. Approximately 300-200 million years ago, the Cape Verdean hotspot, a plume of hot material from the Earth's mantle, was located under the area that later became the Great Lakes region. Due to the heating and stretching of the lithosphere, the solid outer shell of the Earth, a low-lying area was formed.

Later, during the last ice age, glaciers moving across these lowlands further deepened and changed the terrain.

Unlike hotspots created by volcanic islands, such as Hawaii, the Cape Verdean hotspot had a less noticeable impact. This is due to the stability and thickness of the North American continent's lithosphere, which prevented volcanic activity but contributed to the formation of a unique topography. As a result, it was glaciers that completed the process of creating lakes that have become an important source of fresh water in the world.

If you want to get the latest news about the war and events in Ukraine, subscribe to our Telegram channel!