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 could open doors to discovery.
Five hundred 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.
Watch: Sinkholes discovered at the bottom of Lake Michigan could expand our knowledge of the Great Lakes:
"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% to 20% of Lake Michigan's floor has been explored, and these findings will only increase that number.
"That's the beauty of storytelling, the beauty of scientific inquiry,” Cullen said. “There's always new stones to be uncovered."
Cullen says many discoveries, like this one, can be found by citizens and everyday explorers. He encourages anyone who finds something interesting about the lake to reach out to an organization like the Maritime Museum or NOAA.
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