Rapid Fire
Finger Lakes
- 09 Oct 2025
- 2 min read
Scientists are investigating newly discovered craters at the bottom of Seneca Lake (one of the Finger Lakes) to determine if they release methane or other gases responsible for the mysterious "Seneca Guns" sounds.
- Seneca Lake, one of New York’s Finger Lakes, is famous for its mysterious booming sounds, popularly called the Seneca Guns or Seneca Drums.
Finger Lakes
- About: The Finger Lakes comprise 11 long, narrow, parallel lakes in north-south orientation, named for their finger-like shape on the map.
- The two largest finger lakes, Seneca and Cayuga, are among the deepest in North America.
- Geological Formation: They were created when advancing glaciers during the Pleistocene ice age deepened and widened narrow, V-shaped river valleys into U-shaped troughs through a process called glacial scouring.
- Moraines (rock and debris piles) mark the glacier's limits at the southern ends of the lakes, while drumlins (teardrop-shaped hills) formed under the moving ice and appear in bands north of the lakes.
- Role of Milankovitch Cycles: These glacial advances and retreats were driven by long-term orbital variations in global climate, known as Milankovitch cycles.
- Formation of Lake Basins: The eventual retreat of the glaciers left behind debris piles called recessional moraines, which acted as dams, causing the deepened valleys to fill with water and form the modern lakes.
| Read More: Landforms Part-II |
