苏必利尔湖(LakeSuperior)是世界上面积最大的淡水湖,1622年为法国殖民者所发现,湖名取自法语Suprieur(索菲莉尔),意为上湖。该湖为美国和加拿大共有,被加拿大的安大略省与美国的明尼苏达州、威斯康星州和密歇根州所环绕。湖面东西长616千米,南北最宽处257千米,湖面平均海拔180米,水面积82414,最大深度405米。蓄水量1。2万,占五大湖蓄水量一半以上,以蓄水量计算,该湖是世界第四大湖(不分咸水淡水,储水量前三分别为里海,贝加尔湖和坦噶尼喀湖)。湖岸线长3000千米,沿岸森林密布,北岸曲折多湖湾。有近200条河流注入湖中,以尼皮贡和圣路易斯河为最大。 Thelargestfreshwaterlakeintheworld,LakeSuperior LakeSuperioristhelargestfreshwaterLakeintheworld。DiscoveredbyFrenchcolonistsin1622,theLakesnamecomesfromtheFrenchSuperieur(Superior),meaningupperLake。Thelake,whichissharedbytheUnitedStatesandCanada,issurroundedbytheCanadianprovinceofOntarioandtheAmericanstatesofMinnesota,WisconsinandMichigan。Thelakeis616kilometerslongfromeasttowestand257kilometerswidefromnorthtosouth。Theaveragealtitudeofthelakeis180meters,thewaterareais82,414m2,andthemaximumdepthis405meters。Thelakeholds12,000cubicmetersofwater,accountingformorethanhalfofthefiveGreatLakes。Intermsofwaterstorage,thelakeisthefourthlargestlakeintheworld(theCaspianSea,LakeBaikalandLakeTanganyikaarethetopthreeintermsofwaterstorage,regardlessoffreshwater)。Theshorelineofthelakeis3000kilometerslong,andthecoastisdenselyforested,andthenorthshoreiswindingandwinding。Nearly200riversfeedintothelake,withtheNipigonandSt。Louisriversbeingthelargest。