The Apostle Islands
September 04, 2001
Provided by: Jim Foster, NASA/GSFC
Summary authors & editors: Jim Foster
The Apostle Islands are located in western Lake Superior, just off the Wisconsin shore, near the town of Bayfield. The photo above shows the coastline of Madeline Island, the biggest of the 21 Apostle Islands. Several of the Apostle Islands have rocky coasts, and in some cases, waves have created sea caves. On Madeline Island, part of the coastline is rocky, but where a rocky coast is absent, the shore is noticeably retreating, beaten back by a one-two combination of wind and waves. As shown above, birch and hemlock trees are sometimes left in a precarious position when erosion compromises their root systems. The Apostle Islands have 7 working lighthouses. See the Earth Science Picture of the Day for October 26, 2000 and August 16, 2001.
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