Projected ice cover on Lake Michigan, 1900 - 2020 (IMAGE)
Caption
The annual ice cover of Lake Michigan between 1900 and 2020 is shown as a spiky black line on this chart. The values prior to about 1970 were determined using a new model developed by a collaboration led by the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research at the University of Michigan. Two methods of finding the trends in this highly variable data result in smoother red and blue lines that show a gentle wave in ice cover that's heading toward a trough in 2020, but could rebound after.
Credit
D. Cannon et al. Commun. Earth Environ (2026). https://doi.org/ 10.1038/s43247-026-03866-5
Usage Restrictions
Credit must be given to the creator.
License
CC BY