A Relationship Between Cyclic Water Level Rising in Lake Michigan and the El Nino/Southern Oscillation

Abstract

Previous studies indicate the large bodies of water such as Lake Michigan have the potential to reflect climate changes such as those created by the El Nino- Southern Oscillation phenomenon. One such climate indicator is water level fluctuations. Statistical analysis can be used to reveal some of the relationships between climate and water level patterns in Lake Michigan. Results of the standard parametric F-test suggest that there is a relationship between ENSO events and range variation during seasonal water level cycles in Lake Michigan. While these results support previous studies relating precipitation patterns in the Midwest to ENSO events, further studies of other lake characteristics such as discharge rates and temperature patterns should be conducted to solidify a definite relationship between Lake Michigan and ENSO