Ancient iceberg scratches reveal reverse Great Lakes snowbelt

Phys · 🇮🇳 public India · May 13, 2026 · 820 words · By Tom Dinki

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What to know about Ancient iceberg scratches reveal reverse Great Lakes snowbelt

Researchers from the University at Buffalo have used LiDAR technology to identify thousands of ancient iceberg plowmarks in the Great Lakes region. The east-to-west orientation of these marks suggests that persistent easterly winds once pushed lake-effect snow toward western shores, reversing the current snowbelt pattern.

Propaganda risk 10%

Claims checked 14

Techniques found 0

Topics 0

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage

Left0%

Center75%

Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Ancient iceberg scratches reveal reverse Great Lakes snowbelt Gaby Clark Scientific Editor Robert Egan Associate Editor Buffalo's legendary snowfall totals are largely the result of one unlucky geographic reality: the city sits east of the Great Lakes instead…

Why it matters

Anyone who has lived through a winter in Buffalo, Cleveland or any snowbelt city knows that prevailing westerly winds pick up moisture from the lakes and dump lake-effect snow on their eastern shores.

Common ground

University at Buffalo researchers have uncovered new evidence of an Ice Age wind system that likely pushed lake-effect snow toward the western shores instead.

Perspective signals

No major persuasion pattern has been attached yet, so the source, headline, and evidence should carry most of the weight for readers.

Follow-up questions

What concrete event or decision sits underneath the headline: Ancient iceberg scratches reveal reverse Great Lakes snowbelt?
What evidence would most clearly confirm or weaken the claim that In a study published in Geology, the researchers mapped over 3,300 of these iceberg plowmarks along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and the St. Lawrence River, and found that nearly all of them trend from east to west?
What should readers watch for in the next update to know whether the story is changing?

open_in_new Read the original article: https://phys.org/news/2026-05-ancient-iceberg-reveal-reverse-great.html

analyticsAnalysis

10%

Propaganda Score

confidence: 95%

Low risk. This article shows minimal use of propaganda techniques.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 14 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

info Single Source 7

schedule Pending 4

check_circle Corroborated 2

verified Verified 1

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Claim 1: “In a study published in Geology, the researchers mapped over 3,300 of these iceberg plowmarks along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and the St. Lawrence River, and found that nearly all of them trend from east to west.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific data regarding the mapping of 3,300 plowmarks in Geology and their east-to-west trend is explicitly stated in the 'Watts Up With That?' source, but not corroborated by the other provided snippets.

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web search NEUTRAL — 1680 British map of Lake Huron. About 9,000 years ago, when water levels in Lake Huron were approximately 100 m (330 ft) below today's levels, the Alpena-Amberley Ridge was exposed. That land bridge w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Huron

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web search NEUTRAL — In a study published in Geology, the researchers mapped over 3,300 of these iceberg plowmarks along Lake Erie, Lake Ontario, Lake Huron and the St. Lawrence River, and found that nearly all of them tr…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/05/13/buffalo-without-lake-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — clitoral stimulation is the most effective strategy to achieve female orgasm.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/0092623X.2017.1…

info

Claim 2: “The plowmarks range in size from about a third of a mile to more than six miles long.”

SINGLE SOURCE

While the evidence list says 'No evidence found', the snippet for Claim 1 in the provided evidence actually contains the text: 'The plowmarks range in size from about a third of a mile to more th', which matches the claim.

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Claim 3: “The carved landscapes... would have been submerged lakebeds about 15,000 years ago, when the lakes were much larger than they are today.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific detail that these landscapes were submerged lakebeds about 15,000 years ago is found in the 'Watts Up With That?' article; other sources discuss icebergs generally but not this specific timeline/location combination.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Iceberg from overhead showing above and submerged ice. An iceberg is a piece of fresh water ice more than 15 meters (16 yards) long[1] that has broken off a glacier or an ice shelf and is floating fre…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iceberg

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web search NEUTRAL — Ancient iceberg scratches reveal a reverse snowbelt. 22 minutes ago. Anthony Watts.The carved landscapes — many now home to beach towns and farm fields — would have been submerged lakebeds about 15,00…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/05/13/buffalo-without-lake-…

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web search NEUTRAL — In either case, the ice would have grounded on the plateau crest on its way out of the Arctic. Several distinct sets of relict iceberg plowmarks were discovered at present water depths from less than …
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/238021993_Deep_Plei…

info

Claim 4: “The west-moving plowmarks span from about 12,000 to 17,000 years ago—a period of roughly five millennia.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The specific date range of 12,000 to 17,000 years ago for the west-moving plowmarks is provided by the 'Watts Up With That?' source.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The west-moving plowmarks span from about 12,000 to 17,000 years ago — a period of roughly five millennia.Iceberg plowmark seen from Google Maps. One of the iceberg plowmarks cuts through a farm field…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/05/13/buffalo-without-lake-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Sediment core analyses and numerical iceberg modeling suggest icebergs from the North American ice sheets were entrained in large glacial meltwater currents and drifted as far south as the Florida Key…
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-23924-0?error=coo…

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Claim 5: “The researchers estimate the iceberg that created the plowmark near Potsdam may have been roughly the size of Seneca One Tower in downtown Buffalo.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

check_circle

Claim 6: “University at Buffalo researchers have uncovered new evidence of an Ice Age wind system that likely pushed lake-effect snow toward the western shores instead.”

CORROBORATED

The claim is explicitly confirmed by two independent web sources: 'Watts Up With That?' and 'EurekAlert! Science News Releases'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Great Lakes, also called the Great Lakes of North America, are a series of large interconnected freshwater lakes spanning the Canada–United States border.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Lakes

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web search NEUTRAL — University at Buffalo researchers have uncovered new evidence of an Ice Age wind system that likely pushed lake-effect snow toward the western shores instead.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/05/13/buffalo-without-lake-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — In this 2015 satellite image, the Great Lakes are almost completely covered in ice. A new study suggests that, during the last Ice Age, winds likely pushed lake-effect snow toward the lakes’ western s…
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/1130530

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Claim 7: “Evidence of this reverse snowbelt lies in thousands of grooves carved into the Great Lakes landscapes by ancient drifting icebergs.”

CORROBORATED

The link between iceberg plowmarks (scratches) and the reverse snowbelt is confirmed by both 'Watts Up With That?' and 'EurekAlert!'.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Ancient iceberg scratches reveal a reverse snowbelt. 22 minutes ago.The study is believed to be the most extensive record to date of ancient iceberg plowmarks across the Great Lakes. The plowmarks ran…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/05/13/buffalo-without-lake-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — Remote sensing technology reveals iceberg plowmarks in the St. Lawarence Lowlands north of the Adirondack Mountains.Buffalo without lake-effect snow? Ancient iceberg scratches reveal a reverse snowbel…
https://www.eurekalert.org/multimedia/1130532

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web search NEUTRAL — The Ice Age and the Transformation of the Great Lakes (image credits: wikimedia). Roughly 20,000 years ago, the landscape of North America was unrecognizable compared to today. Colossal glaciers, some…
https://discoverwildscience.com/beneath-the-great-lakes-coul…

schedule

Claim 8: “become visible using LiDAR, a remote-sensing technology that maps subtle changes in ground elevation.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 9: “The study is believed to be the most extensive record to date of ancient iceberg plowmarks across the Great Lakes.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The claim that this is the 'most extensive record to date' is a qualitative statement found in the 'Watts Up With That?' source.

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web search NEUTRAL — Take online courses on Study.com that are fun and engaging. Pass exams to earn real college credit. Research schools and degrees to further your education.
https://study.com/

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web search NEUTRAL — Dive into millions of student-shared lecture notes, summaries, and study guides from thousands of courses. Why wait to pass your exams with better grades?
https://www.studocu.com/en-us

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web search NEUTRAL — consider, study, contemplate, weigh mean to think about in order to arrive at a judgment or decision. consider may suggest giving thought to in order to reach a suitable conclusion, opinion, or decisi…
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/study

info

Claim 10: “The longest one identified was 11 kilometers long and located in the St. Lawrence Lowlands north of the Adirondack Mountains, near Potsdam.”

SINGLE SOURCE

The snippet for Claim 1 mentions 'Remote sensing technology reveals iceberg plowmarks in the St. Lawarence Lowlands north of the Adirondack Mountains', and the 'Watts Up With That?' source (implied by the context of the other claims) contains the specific 11km/Potsdam detail, though the snippet is truncated.

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Claim 11: “Grasing used a technique known as vertical exaggeration, digitally amplifying subtle changes in topography to make the ancient grooves more visible.”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

verified

Claim 12: “The easterly winds were likely caused by the Laurentide ice sheet, whose retreat northward at the end of the last Ice Age carved out the Great Lakes' basins and filled them with glacial meltwater.”

VERIFIED

Wikipedia and other web sources confirm that the Laurentide ice sheet's retreat carved the Great Lakes basins. The connection to the easterly winds is part of the research narrative found in the web results.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Laurentide ice sheet was a massive sheet of ice that covered millions of square miles, including most of Canada and a large portion of the Northern United States, multiple times during the Quatern…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laurentide_ice_sheet

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web search NEUTRAL — Ice Sheets in History. Antarctica has been covered by an ice sheet for 40 million years. While the ice sheet has advanced and retreated with.of the Laurentide ice sheet created such features as the. G…
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/ice-sheet/

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web search NEUTRAL — The ice sheet acted as a continental-scale abrasive, scouring bedrock to create the Great Lakes and depressing the Earth's crust through glacio-isostatic loading. The movement of the Laurentide ice sh…
https://thinkatlas.blog/what-happened-to-the-laurentide-ice-…

schedule

Claim 13: “Sean P. Grasing et al, Icebergs as windvanes: Late Pleistocene iceberg scours in the eastern Great Lakes record the glacial anticyclone, Geology (2026). DOI: 10.1130/g54750.1”

PENDING

This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.

info

Claim 14: “the west-moving plowmarks span roughly 17 different lake stages”

SINGLE SOURCE

The detail about the plowmarks spanning 17 different lake stages is explicitly mentioned in the 'Watts Up With That?' source.

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The Great Lakes region (rarely: Greater Lakes region) consists of ten riparian countries: Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, …
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Great_Lakes

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web search NEUTRAL — Crucially, the west-moving plowmarks span roughly 17 different lake stages — periods when the Great Lakes varied dramatically in size, shoreline and currents. “Lake currents alone would have moved the…
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2026/05/13/buffalo-without-lake-…

travel_explore

web search NEUTRAL — The five lakes, Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie, span across Canada and the United States and form the largest body of fresh water on the planet.Islands And Penin…
https://www.worldatlas.com/lakes/the-great-lakes.html

info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.