> For the Atwater case still one of the best theories (my guessing) could be > lightning, but wouldn't someone ivestigating this have found out if there really > was lightning in the night before. Btw, is lightning normal in central Minnesota > in the middle of January? >
I don't know about lightning, but in the lakes in Minnesota this past month, unusually warm water have appeared, opening large patches of open water in the lakes that are normally frozen over. See the article below. Ron Baalke (Go Lakers!) ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.weather.com/newscenter/topstories/030128minnesotalakes.html Unusual patches are appearing in lakes Associated Press January 28, 2003 GLENWOOD, Minn. This winter is proving to be anything but a normal one for some Minnesota lakes. Unusual patches of open water have been popping up on several lakes, including Lake Minnewaska near Glenwood. A large swath of steaming water opened mysteriously in the otherwise frozen lake a few weeks ago. And it has remained, despite recent subzero temperatures. "I've never seen anything like this," said Erling Haaland, who has lived on the lake for 40 years. "It's very strange." Similar words are being muttered on North Long Lake near Brainerd, Forest Lake just north of the Twin Cities, Lake Marion in Lakeville and at Lake Minnetonka, where two teenagers died last week after driving into open water. Department of Natural Resources conservation officers also recently reported open water in several lakes throughout southern Minnesota. The cause of the unusual patches of open water is unknown, but there are theories. Steve McComas, a lake expert who owns Blue Water Science in St. Paul, says the mysterious patches might be the result of a meteorological and geological "perfect storm" - the unusual convergence of several factors. He said heavy rains last summer and fall, combined with a late freeze because of an unusually warm fall and early winter, likely has led to surplus groundwater. That water, generally around 50 degrees, is being pumped through springs into lake bottoms. "Warm water is less dense and will come to the surface," said McComas, who theorizes the water is flowing into lakes with enough velocity to erode ice and create open water. That idea might explain why the lakes refuse to freeze, despite last week's cold weather. But other factors might be involved. A lack of snow this winter could be having an effect on vegetation in lakes, said Al Cibuzar of A.W. Research Laboratories in Brainerd, who is studying North Long Lake's open water. "It may be a combination of everything," Cibuzar said. Greg Spoden, assistant state climatologist, said he sought the opinions of several DNR experts. A combination of poor ice-making weather earlier in the winter and ground water upwelling could explain the holes," he said. "I should emphasize that the phenomenon is relatively rare and therefore not well researched. We may be dealing with the unknowable." ______________________________________________ Meteorite-list mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/meteorite-list
