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Ask NOAA experts about Great Lakes ice cover in a Tweet Chat on Wednesday, March 14

Contact: John Ewald, 240-429-6127

As the mild winter of 2012 yields to an early spring, the Great Lakes are relatively free of ice. However, as longtime residents of the region know, ice cover on the lakes can vary dramatically from one winter to the next. Researchers at the NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab (GLERL) have been monitoring ice cover on the Great Lakes for decades.

These measurements have revealed trends and climate links to variations in ice cover. A recent paper published by GLERL scientists in the Journal of Climate (pdf) documents a downward trend of 71 percent from 1973 to 2010.

In addition to research on ice cover trends, GLERL maintains the Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System which provides current and predicted ice cover and other conditions.

The amount of ice on the Great Lakes has implications for shipping, electric and water utilities, and also the region’s weather. On Wednesday, March 14, two GLERL scientists will take questions over Twitter about ice cover on the lakes over the past few months and on the long-term trends.

Join George Leshkevich and Jia Wang for the first-ever GLERL Tweet Chat.

Mud revealed

This sample of worms, clams and other life forms was sampled from the Chukchi seafloor. Credit: Alex Kozyr

What: Use Twitter to chat directly with NOAA Great Lakes ice experts George Leshkevich and Jia Wang.

When: Wednesday, March 14 at 2:30 p.m. ET

How: Tweet questions to @NOAA_GLERL using hashtag #IceChat

More on the web
Q&A interview with Leshkevich and Wang
GLERL fact sheet on Great Lakes ice (pdf)
GLERL Great Lakes ice image gallery
NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab

NOAA’s mission is to understand and predict changes in the Earth's environment, from the depths of the ocean to the surface of the sun, and to conserve and manage our coastal and marine resources. Join us on Facebook, Twitter and our other social media channels.