Is it true that Lakes Michigan and Huron are actually one lake? Is the Mackinac Strait enough of a separation for them to qualify as two separate lakes? And doesn’t a lake have to be completely surrounded by land (except for rivers flowing into it)?
The Mackinac Strait is five miles wide at its narrowest point - most people would define a body of water that size as a lake not a river. And Lake Michigan and Lake Huron act as if they are a common body of water. So from an objective scientific point of view, it’s one big lake with a relatively narrow spot in the middle. And you might as well add in Georgian Bay as well.
But like Asia and Europe, they’re treated as seperate things for cultural reasons.
Sort of like all of those oceans are one big ocean. The Pacific and Indian Oceans being the best example.
The Strait is about 5 miles (8 km) wide at its narrowest point.
The Nile is about 7.5 km at its widest point.
The Amazon has many sections which range from 6-10 km wide.
Seems like an okay divider to me.
Hydrologically, the two are one body of water because there’s no gradient between them–they’re at the same elevation, and water will drift either way through the Straits of Mackinac depending on the wind. Contrast this with Lakes Huron and Erie–Huron is about nine feet higher than Erie, and water never flows up the Detroit River from Erie into Huron.
Well, to be fair, it would also have to flow up the St. Clair river to get there as well. 