What causes Seiches in the Great Lakes?

Seiches are typically caused when strong winds and rapid changes in atmospheric pressure push water from one end of a body of water to the other. In some of the Great Lakes and other large bodies of water, the time period between the “high” and “low” of a seiche can be as much as four to seven hours.

What are waves in a lake called?

A seiche (/ˈseɪʃ/ SAYSH) is a standing wave in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water. Seiches and seiche-related phenomena have been observed on lakes, reservoirs, swimming pools, bays, harbours and seas.

Can you get a tsunami in a lake?

Tsunamis in lakes can be generated by fault displacement beneath or around lake systems. Needs to occur just below the lake bottom. Earthquake is of high or moderate magnitude typically over magnitude four. Displaces a large enough volume of water to generate a tsunami.

Has there ever been a tsunami in Lake Michigan?

But tsunamis on the Great Lakes, known as ‘meteotsunamis’, can also happen. Ten people were pulled out into Lake Michigan and drowned. June 26, 1954: A 10-foot, meteotsunami-caused wave swept fishermen off a pier on the shores of Lake Michigan in Chicago. Seven were killed.

What causes a seiche in the Great Lakes?

The storm also produced one of the most interesting phenomena on the Great Lakes, known as a seiche. A seiche is caused when strong winds push water from one end of a body of water to the other, much like the “slosh” you get in a bathtub as you push water from one end to the other. Seiches can also occur with strong changes in atmospheric pressure.

How big was the seiche on Lake Erie?

Seiches can also occur with strong changes in atmospheric pressure. The wind-driven seiche on Lake Erie Sunday sent a wall of water east-northeast over the long and narrow lake, rapidly raising water levels about 7 feet at Buffalo, while at the other end of the lake, the water levels at Toledo dropped nearly 7 feet.

Where does a seiche occur in the ocean?

On a much grander scale, the same phenomenon occurs in large bodies of water such as bays and lakes. A seiche may occur in any semi- or fully-enclosed body of water.

Where was the seiche in Lake Michigan in 1938?

The seiche of 1938 claimed another five lives on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan (The Joint Archives of Holland 2001). On June 26, 1954, the southern basin of Lake Michigan experienced a seiche in numerous locations, including the entire Illinois shoreline. The seiche was caused by a squall line that started in Michigan City, IN.