Lake Ojibway facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Ojibway |
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Glacial Lake Agassiz and Lake Ojibway (7,900 YBP)
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 Lake Ojibway
Location in Ontario
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| Location | Ontario & Quebec |
| Coordinates | 48°N 80°W / 48°N 80°W |
| Lake type | former lake |
| Etymology | Chippwa Nation |
| Primary inflows | Laurentide Ice Sheet |
| Primary outflows | Ottawa River valley |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| First flooded | 9,160 years before present |
| Max. length | 1,314 mi (2,115 km) |
| Max. width | 212 mi (341 km) |
| Residence time | 1900 years in existence |
| Surface elevation | 820 ft (250 m) |
Lake Ojibway was a giant lake that existed long ago, during the last ice age. It was located in what is now northern Ontario and Quebec in Canada. This huge body of water was one of the last great proglacial lakes. Proglacial lakes are lakes formed by the melting of huge ice sheets.
Lake Ojibway was similar in size to Lake Agassiz, another massive ice age lake. It was located north of the modern Great Lakes. At its biggest, around 8,500 years ago, Lake Ojibway was truly enormous. Today, the land where the lake once sat is known as the Clay Belt. This area has very fertile soil, which is great for farming.
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How Lake Ojibway Disappeared
Lake Ojibway did not last forever. It drained away in a very sudden and dramatic way about 8,200 years ago. Scientists believe this event was quite catastrophic.
The Ice Dam Theory
One idea is that a weak ice dam broke. An ice dam is like a wall of ice that holds back water. This ice dam separated Lake Ojibway from Hudson Bay. The lake was about 250 meters (820 feet) higher than sea level. When the ice dam broke, a massive flood would have rushed out.
A similar type of flood happened in the past, called the Missoula floods. These floods created the unique Channeled Scablands in the Columbia River basin.
Other Ideas About the Draining
Even today, scientists are not completely sure how Lake Ojibway drained. It's not fully known if the ice dam broke, or if the water spilled over the glacier. Another idea is that the water flooded under the glacier.
Scientists also don't know if the lake drained in one huge rush or in several smaller bursts. The exact path the water took to reach Hudson Bay is also still a mystery.
A Global Impact: The 8.2-kiloyear Event
The draining of Lake Ojibway might have caused a major global cooling event. This event is known as the 8.2-kiloyear event. It happened around 8,200 years ago, at the same time the lake drained.
When such a huge amount of fresh, cold water suddenly flowed into the ocean, it could have changed ocean currents. These changes might have led to a noticeable drop in temperatures around the world.
