Clearwater Lakes
Encyclopedia
The Lac à l'Eau Claire (the official name, in French
), also called the Clearwater Lakes in English, Wiyasakami in Cree
and Allait Qasigialingat by the Inuit
, are a pair of circular lakes on the Canadian Shield
in Quebec
, Canada, near Hudson Bay
.
The lakes are actually a single body of water with a sprinkling of islands forming a "dotted line" between the eastern and western parts. The name is due to the clear water it holds. There are actually 25 lakes with that name in the province (26 if the Petit lac à l'Eau Claire — the Small Clearwater Lake — is included). These are the largest and northernmost, and the second largest natural lake in Quebec after Lake Mistassini
.
In 1896, the explorer and geologist Albert Peter Low
, a member of the Geological Survey of Canada, provided the probable origin of the lakes' descriptive name by highlighting the extraordinary clarity and depth of their icy waters.
s (astroblemes). The eastern and western craters are 26 km (16.2 mi) and 36 km (22.4 mi) in diameter, respectively. Both craters have the same age, 290 ± 20 million years (Permian
), and it is believed that they formed simultaneously. The impactors may have been gravitationally bound as a binary asteroid
, a suggestion first made by Thomas Wm. Hamilton in a 1978 letter to Sky & Telescope
magazine in support of the then-controversial theory that asteroids may possess moons.
species, the flora of the central islands in the western basin of the lake is characteristically arctic
, making the islands an arctic enclave.
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
), also called the Clearwater Lakes in English, Wiyasakami in Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and Allait Qasigialingat by the Inuit
Inuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
, are a pair of circular lakes on the Canadian Shield
Canadian Shield
The Canadian Shield, also called the Laurentian Plateau, or Bouclier Canadien , is a vast geological shield covered by a thin layer of soil that forms the nucleus of the North American or Laurentia craton. It is an area mostly composed of igneous rock which relates to its long volcanic history...
in Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
, Canada, near Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay
Hudson Bay , sometimes called Hudson's Bay, is a large body of saltwater in northeastern Canada. It drains a very large area, about , that includes parts of Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan, Alberta, most of Manitoba, southeastern Nunavut, as well as parts of North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota,...
.
The lakes are actually a single body of water with a sprinkling of islands forming a "dotted line" between the eastern and western parts. The name is due to the clear water it holds. There are actually 25 lakes with that name in the province (26 if the Petit lac à l'Eau Claire — the Small Clearwater Lake — is included). These are the largest and northernmost, and the second largest natural lake in Quebec after Lake Mistassini
Lake Mistassini
Lake Mistassini is the largest natural lake by surface area in the province of Quebec, Canada, with a total surface area of approximately 2,335 km² and a net area of 2,164 km². It is located in the Jamésie region of the province, approximately east of James Bay...
.
In 1896, the explorer and geologist Albert Peter Low
Albert Peter Low
Albert Peter Low was a Canadian geologist, explorer and athlete. His explorations of 1893–1895 were important in declaring Canada's sovereignty over the Arctic, and eventually defining the border between Quebec and Labrador....
, a member of the Geological Survey of Canada, provided the probable origin of the lakes' descriptive name by highlighting the extraordinary clarity and depth of their icy waters.
Impact craters
The lakes fill circular depressions that are interpreted as paired impact craterImpact crater
In the broadest sense, the term impact crater can be applied to any depression, natural or manmade, resulting from the high velocity impact of a projectile with a larger body...
s (astroblemes). The eastern and western craters are 26 km (16.2 mi) and 36 km (22.4 mi) in diameter, respectively. Both craters have the same age, 290 ± 20 million years (Permian
Permian
The PermianThe term "Permian" was introduced into geology in 1841 by Sir Sir R. I. Murchison, president of the Geological Society of London, who identified typical strata in extensive Russian explorations undertaken with Edouard de Verneuil; Murchison asserted in 1841 that he named his "Permian...
), and it is believed that they formed simultaneously. The impactors may have been gravitationally bound as a binary asteroid
Binary asteroid
A binary asteroid is a system of two asteroids orbiting their common center of mass, in analogy with binary stars. 243 Ida was the first binary asteroid to be identified when the Galileo spacecraft did a flyby in 1993...
, a suggestion first made by Thomas Wm. Hamilton in a 1978 letter to Sky & Telescope
Sky & Telescope
Sky & Telescope is a monthly American magazine covering all aspects of amateur astronomy, including the following:*current events in astronomy and space exploration;*events in the amateur astronomy community;...
magazine in support of the then-controversial theory that asteroids may possess moons.
Micro climate
Because of its size, Lac à l'Eau Claire can affect the local climate, as attested to by the distribution of plant species. Although the lake's shorelines are populated mainly by borealBoreal ecosystem
The term boreal is usually applied to ecosystems localized in subarctic and subantarctic zones, although Austral is also used for the latter....
species, the flora of the central islands in the western basin of the lake is characteristically arctic
Arctic
The Arctic is a region located at the northern-most part of the Earth. The Arctic consists of the Arctic Ocean and parts of Canada, Russia, Greenland, the United States, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland. The Arctic region consists of a vast, ice-covered ocean, surrounded by treeless permafrost...
, making the islands an arctic enclave.