MANITOWOC (NBC 26) — Two marine historians in Wisconsin discovered incredibly valuable sinkholes off of Wisconsin's lakeshore.
- Discovered by Brendon Baillod and Dusty Klifman, the sinkholes are 500 feet underwater and 600 feet wide.
- Scientists believe they could hold incredibly valuable answers to Lake Michigan.
- Wisconsin Maritime Direcotr Kevin Cullen says the sinkholes are in the National Marine Sanctuary.
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story)
Over Labor Day weekend, there was a lot of activity on Lake Michigan. But this lake is far from an open book. Now, a find deep in the lake that could open doors to discovery.
500 feet deep and 600 feet wide, sinkholes were found at the bottom of Lake Michigan and Wisconsin Maritime Museum Director Kevin Cullen is fascinated by them.
"This is a whole new avenue of research. I mean there's now a geological question in mind. How did they form? Why are they there, specifically in the bedrock?” Cullen said. “We're all scratching our heads wondering what could these things be."
Cullen says theories range from the sinkholes being formed by glaciers to the depressions resulting from ages of intense pressure.
"There's actually now new science, new data, and it's only scratching the surface as to what they mean and what secrets they hold,” said Cullen.
Discovered by citizen scientists Brendon Baillod and Dusty Klifman of Wisconsin, the sinkholes are located within the National Marine Sanctuary along Wisconsin's lakeshore.
"This is really what it is set up for,” Cullen said of the sanctuary. “To spark curiosity and bring in scientists and technology to document this incredible research which is the Great Lakes and our section of the Great Lakes."
He says that only 15%-20% percent of Lake Michigan's floor has been discovered and these findings will only increase that number.
"That's the beauty of storytelling, the beauty of scientific inquiry,” says Cullen. “There's always new stones to be uncovered."
Cullen says that many discoveries, like this one, can be found by citizens and everyday explorers. He told me that if anyone finds something interesting about our lake, to reach out to an organization like the Maritime Museum or NOAA.
