Knowra Seiche Seiche A seiche is a standing wave that oscillates within an enclosed or partly enclosed body of water. Its water level rises and falls rhythmically as the basin’s natural oscillation is excited.
Standing wave : A wave pattern that remains in place while its parts oscillate, formed by interference between waves traveling in opposite directions. A seiche is a standing wave shaped by reflections at the boundaries of a water basin.
François-Alphonse Forel : A Swiss scientist who founded modern limnology through studies of Lake Geneva. Forel systematically studied Lake Geneva’s oscillating water levels and established the term’s scientific use.
Tsunami : A series of long ocean waves generated by large disturbances such as earthquakes, landslides, or volcanic eruptions. Both can produce long-period water-level oscillations, but tsunamis travel across oceans rather than resonate within a basin.
Great Lakes : A group of five large freshwater lakes on the border of the United States and Canada. Their large surface areas support seiches that can cause abrupt local changes in water level.
Resonance : A large response produced when a system is driven near one of its natural frequencies. Wind, pressure changes, or seismic motion can amplify a basin’s natural water oscillation.
Lake Geneva : A large lake on the border of Switzerland and France, also known as Lac Léman. Its rhythmic level changes provided the classic setting for Forel’s seiche research.
Storm surge : An abnormal rise in coastal water level caused primarily by a storm’s winds and atmospheric pressure. Storm surge is a sustained coastal rise, whereas a seiche alternates between high and low water.
Lake Erie : The southernmost and shallowest of North America’s Great Lakes. Its shallow basin and long axis make it especially susceptible to wind-driven water oscillations.
Natural frequency : The frequency at which a system oscillates freely after being disturbed. Each basin’s dimensions and depth determine the frequencies at which its seiche can oscillate.
Limnology : The scientific study of inland waters, including lakes, rivers, and wetlands. Seiche observations helped establish the study of lake dynamics within limnology.
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