Historical surface water temperature data for the Great Lakes are limited, and while some records from water treatment facilities go back decades, they generally represent nearshore areas. A 1965 ship’s engineer log preserved in the Algoma University Archives is now helping fill that gap, giving researchers a rare window into water temperatures across a much broader area of the lakes.
Treasure trove of info
The records are preserved in the St. Marys River Marine Society Collection at the Engracia de Jesus Matias Archives and Special Collections at Algoma University in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. They document surface water temperatures at regular intervals throughout the voyages of the SS Bayton, which travelled across the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River from April to December 1965.
“I was particularly interested in the engineer’s logs since operating steamships efficiently requires an understanding of the ambient water temperature,” said Dr. Michael Twiss, a professor of biology at Algoma University.
“The engineer, whose name we could not determine, of the SS Bayton kept detailed records of many parameters in the ship engine room, including surface water temperature.”
“These measurements are a treasure trove for climate scientists.”
— Dr. Michael Twiss, a professor of biology at Algoma University
Twiss and undergraduate research assistant Hannah Logan recently published a paper based on the records. Logan used the ship’s recorded travel times and waypoints to estimate where each temperature measurement was taken.
The SS Bayton made its final Great Lakes voyage in 1966.
Stronger foundation for understanding
Logan said the data is valuable because it gives researchers a picture of the Great Lakes from more than 60 years ago.
“By knowing what water temperatures looked like in the past, we have a stronger foundation for understanding how the lakes are changing today and what those changes could mean for the future,” she said.
According to Logan, the historical records can help researchers build a clearer picture of climate change across the Great Lakes and better prepare for what lies ahead.
Filling gaps
Dr. Mathew Wells, a University of Toronto professor and collaborator with Twiss on Great Lakes water surface temperatures, said one advantage of the data is that it provides information on water temperatures in the Great Lakes before the use of buoys that started in the 1980s and the use of high-resolution Earth observing satellites, which began in the mid 1990s.
“We have very little other ways to know what earlier temperatures were like at this degree of accuracy,” he said.
Preserving regional history
Krista McCracken, a researcher and curator at Algoma University, said the Engracia de Jesus Matias Archives serve as a repository for northern Ontario’s heritage, culture, and community memory, including the development of the Great Lakes region and shipping on the Great Lakes.
“The engineer’s log book from the St. Marys River Marine Society Collection is an example of the value of preserving regional history and how recorded history can be applied to present-day issues,” she said.
McCracken added that the archives empower scholars, educators, and community members to engage with primary documents that shape the ongoing story of the Algoma region.
