Curious Holes Discovered at the Bottom of Lake Michigan

Lake Michigan has so many cool things lurking at the bottom; many shipwrecks, yes, and naturally-formed and man-made figures. But there are also some things that defy explanation.

Scientists have discovered odd holes (“circular indentations”) about 450 feet below Lake Michigan. They discovered these (approximately) 40 circular ‘depressions’ on the lake bed inside the Wisconsin Shipwreck Coast National Marine Sanctuary. These big, circular craters dot the bottom of the lake that range 300 to 600 feet across, 14 miles southeast of Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

They appear to form a line, furthering confusing researchers. One explanation, according to smithsonianmag.com, “they are sinkholes that formed as groundwater (and) flowed beneath the lake’s limestone bedrock. If that were true, the groundwater may have eroded some of the limestone, causing caverns to form. Eventually, the caverns’ ceilings might have collapsed, making the large indentations on the lakebed.”

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Maybe formed by glaciers? Gas pockets? The insides are dark, 38 degrees, and no oxygen. Any life forms inside? Maybe a type of shrimp and/or bacteria. No proof yet.

Scientists continue to explore the bottom of the Great Lakes and hope to create a complete map of the Great Lakes by 2030. More incredible discoveries like these holes are expected to be uncovered.

The gallery below depicts images that were generated by AI.