Lake Erie Ice Cover 2003-2004 Season

It's amazing just how much one picture can show you.  The following images were taken from GOES (Geostationary Operational Environmental  Satellite) which orbits at nearly 23,000 miles above the Earth's surface.  That's a "magic" distance which allows the satellite to orbit at roughly the same speed that the earth rotates, allowing it to remain over the same point (stationary) of the Earth (Geo)...hence geostationary!

In the following visible images, you will be able to see some fantastic geographic features such as the ice cover, the Finger Lakes, river valleys etc.,  which in some cases have been neatly outlined by snow cover.

Our friends at the National Ice Center have a great WEB site that contains a very detailed account of the ice pack on the Great Lakes.  Check it out!