By Mary Drew at Pasty Central (Mdrew) on Tuesday, October 23, 2012 - 07:58 am:
Today's photo is that of the MTU Great Lakes Research Center Data Buoy that is normally located three miles out in Lake Superior, near the north Portage Entry. Karl Johnson sent me the following information, along with the map and data chart above. The photograph of the buoy was taken by Karl's neighbor, Dave Mendelin. Here's the story behind the beached buoy, from Karl:
"I thought Pasty Central watchers would enjoy this demonstration of the power of the big lake. I am a avid watcher of weather conditions through the "National Buoy Data Center" website. They report current and historical weather data for land and buoy based weather stations from around the world including several near my home on the Calumet lakeshore. One of those is a buoy that MTU Great Lakes Research Center deploys every spring about 3 miles off the coast near the north Portage entry. During our last big storm on October 4-5th with very large waves coming ashore on our beach, I was checking this buoy data and saw reports of waves very close to 25 feet high (24.3 feet) - Take a look at the Keweenaw snow thermometer to get some idea of how tall that really is.
Anyway, the next time I checked the buoy was no longer reporting and I wondered what had happened to it. A few days later I was talking to my neighbor, Dave Mendelin and mentioned the huge waves and that the buoy had quit reporting and that I was wondering what happened to it. He said he knew the answer because it was sitting on a relative's beach at Sedar Bay. He later sent me a picture. I've attached that picture along with a map of its original location and a plot of the last data the buoy sent before breaking loose. It is solid evidence of the amazing power of greatest of the Great Lakes."
Some additional information came in from, Mike Abbott, Director of Great Lakes Research Center Operations, who said that the data buoy was recovered from the beach and is now sitting in the Great Lakes Research Center boathouse. He added that it is a little scratched and banged up, but largely undamaged.
Great example of the power of Lake Superior that we're always talking about. It's hard to imagine if you've never seen this Great Lake in person, but today's photos and information, let's you see that she may be labeled a lake, but she behaves like the ocean when her waters get rocking and rolling.
Thanks to Karl, Dave and Mike, for sharing this with us all.
