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Changing water levels of the Great Lakes: Understanding tides, tsunamis and seiches

The moon’s gravity bulges earth’s sea levels creating tides. Do the Great Lakes have tides? (Illustration courtesy of Roger Williams University)

I was sitting on a Lake Michigan beach with my daughter, granddaughter, and other family members when my son-in-law asked if Lake Michigan had tides that raised or lowered the water level on a regular basis. 
Jeff isn’t from Michigan and hasn’t spent much time on any of the Great Lakes, so the question wasn’t illogical. He’s been to the ocean several times and experienced tidal flows there. The view from the beach looking across the lake is very ocean-like.
Most people familiar with the Michigan’s Great Lakes would answer Jeff’s question with a simple, “no.” That would be the wrong answer.

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