March 8, 2019 - MPR’s Dan Kraker visits an area about a quarter-mile offshore from Duluth's Leif Erikson Park, where a hearty band of volunteers have carved a skating rink unlike any other on the frozen surface of Lake Superior. It is an increasing rarity, as warmer winters over the past few decades have resulted in substantially less ice cover.
September 9, 2016 - MPR’s Dan Kraker investigates the warming waters of Lake Superior. In late August 2016, the average surface water temperature for the entire lake hit 68 and a half degrees (the second highest ever recorded). In Lake Superior, researchers at the University of Minnesota Duluth have found that summer surface water temperatures have increased by 5 degrees over the past 30 years.
August 7, 2012 - MPR’s Dan Kraker reports on researchers who are aiming to tap the wealth of information deep inside Lake Superior by sending two mechanical divers into the depths of the big, cold lake for a long period of time.
August 12, 2010 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports from the shore of Lake Superior, where the water has reached record high temperatures during the summer of 2010. Kelleher talks with officials on what is causing the warm water and its potential impact.
February 23, 2007 - MPR’s Bob Kelleher reports that researchers in Duluth say Lake Superior is quickly warming, even faster than the climate around the lake. They believe decreased lake ice over that last couple decades is behind the warming. With the water temperature change comes concerns over future impact for the local environment and lake species.