Lake Wanapitei facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Lake Wanapitei |
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Lake Wanapitei as seen from the air, looking from the southwest.
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 Lake Wanapitei
Location in Ontario
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| Location | Sudbury, Ontario |
| Coordinates | 46°45′N 80°45′W / 46.750°N 80.750°W |
| Lake type | Impact crater lake |
| Primary inflows | Wanapitei River |
| Primary outflows | Wanapitei River |
| Basin countries | Canada |
| Max. length | 16.5 km (10.3 mi) |
| Max. width | 14 km (8.7 mi) |
| Surface elevation | 267 m (876 ft) |
| Settlements | Skead |
Lake Wanapitei (also called Lake Wahnapitae) is a lake in Ontario, Canada. It's special because it sits inside a crater made by a meteorite! This lake is located near the city of Sudbury. There's a much larger crater nearby called the Sudbury Basin, but Lake Wanapitei's crater is not connected to it.
The crater itself is about 5.2 miles (8.3 km) wide. Scientists believe it was formed about 37.2 million years ago. This means it was created during a time in Earth's history called the Eocene period.
Contents
What Makes Lake Wanapitei Special?
How We Know It's a Crater
By the mid-1970s, scientists realized that Lake Wanapitei was indeed an impact crater. They found special rocks around the lake called suevite. These rocks are crumbly and contain tiny pieces of dark glass. Some of these suevite rocks even have a rare mineral called coesite. Coesite only forms under extreme pressure, like the pressure from a giant meteorite hitting the Earth. The suevite found here looks very similar to rocks from another famous impact crater in Germany, called the Ries impact crater.
A Lake Within a City
Lake Wanapitei is a very popular place for fun and for people to live. The neighborhoods of Skead and Boland's Bay are located right on its shores. In 2001, when the city of Greater Sudbury became much larger, Lake Wanapitei gained a unique title. It became the largest lake in the world that is completely inside the boundaries of a single city! Before this, another lake in Sudbury, Lake Ramsey, held this record.
Exploring Lake Wanapitei
Rivers and Parks
The Wanapitei River flows right through Lake Wanapitei. On the north side of the lake, you'll find Wanapitei Provincial Park. This is a "non-operating" park, which means it's a protected natural area but doesn't have any facilities like campgrounds or washrooms.
Islands of the Lake
Lake Wanapitei has many small islands. Some of the named islands include Blueberry, Howie, Pirate Island, Wanapitei, MacLennan, and Bonanza. Many of these islands are wild and untouched. However, some of them have cottages where people go for recreation. A small reserve for the Ojibwe people, called Wahnapitae, is also located on the northwestern shore of the lake.
The Meaning of the Name
The name "Wanapitei" comes from the Ojibwa language. The word waanabidebiing means "concave-tooth [shaped] water." This describes the unique shape of the lake. A nearby community also takes its name from the river and is spelled Wahnapitae. However, the spelling "Wanapitei" is the correct one for both the lake and the river.
