09/24/2026
🌋 Did you know the U.P. has a volcanic past?
The Keweenaw Peninsula’s iconic ridges, valleys, and even parts of Lake Superior’s geological foundation were shaped by massive volcanic activity more than a billion years ago.
In a recent Michigan Public On Hand feature, GLRC researchers Erika Vye, geosciences research scientist, and Daniel J. Lizzadro-McPherson, geospatial research scientist III, explain the fascinating geology behind the landscape we know today.
From the Midcontinent Rift System and the massive Greenstone Flow to glaciers, copper deposits, and the unique ecosystems of the Keweenaw, the story of this place is literally written in the rocks. 🌎🪨
Learn more and listen to Erika and Daniel share the story of the U.P.'s volcanic past.
Michigan's Upper Peninsula might not be the first spot you think of when someone says "volcano," but maybe it should be! Around 1.1 billion years ago, a rift volcano started producing massive amounts of lava in the region. That volcano (with the help of some glaciers around 10,000 years ago) formed....
