NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) – The massive ice crack along Lake Erie has been quite the talker. But do we know what caused it?
Lake Erie was quick to freeze over due to multiple blasts of frigid Arctic air this winter. But recently, all eyes have been on a large split in the ice that now extends over 80 miles and is growing in width as well.
New drone images give us a better idea of just how massive the crack in the ice is and can also help us understand how it happened.
Drone footage of ice crack(CNN Newsource)
There are a couple of factors that went into splitting the ice apart.
CHANGING TEMPERATURES – Fluctuations in temperature cause the ice to expand and contract, which helps cause small cracks in the ice to begin.
GUSTY WINDS – High and persistent winds over the Great Lakes pushed around the massive ice sheet and also moved water currents beneath the surface of the ice.
The combination of high winds and fluctuating temperatures is the main cause of the split in the ice.
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