Buoys record tall Great Lakes waves during Sandy

By on November 7, 2012
A 3-meter discus buoy like those used to measure wave heights in Lake Erie (Credit: NOAA)


Buoys in four Great Lakes recorded large waves as Super Storm Sandy hit the East Coast, according to the Detroit News.

A Canadian buoy in Lake Huron recorded peak average wave heights of 23 feet at 1 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 30.  Lake Michigan had the second highest waves with 21.7 foot waves 43 nautical miles east-southeast of Milwaukee.  In Lake Erie, average wave heights hit 14 feet, 16 nautical miles northwest of Loraine, Ohio.  A buoy 70 nautical miles northeast of Marquette recorded peak average wave heights of 10.5 feet on Lake Superior.

No wave data was recorded by Great Lakes ships as they were all at safe harbors waiting out the storm.  It is unknown whether average wave heights reached record levels.

Image: A 3-meter discus buoy like those used to measure wave heights in Lake Erie (Credit: NOAA)

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