What is a seiche? 40 mph winds rocked Lake Erie this week

Michigan skilled every week of windy climate, a lot in order that the waters of Lake Erie have been sloshing forwards and backwards like water in a bath.

“A fascinating natural phenomenon is occurring today (Oct. 22) on Lake Erie – a seiche,” PutInBay.com stated on-line on Oct. 22. “When you’re not acquainted, a seiche is a sudden and dramatic change in water stage brought on by atmospheric situations akin to excessive winds or speedy modifications in air stress.”

On Wednesday, October 22, the Nationwide Climate Service in Detroit issued a message low water advisory for western Lake Erie on account of considerably low water ranges that would trigger navigational issues for mariners.

Sturdy, sustained winds and gusts as much as 40 miles per hour pushed water towards the east facet of the lake, inflicting the Lake Erie shoreline to recede to the uncovered seaside. PutInBay.com inspired residents to take a look at the phenomenon by means of its web site Webcams from Put-In-Bay (Ohio)..

Seiches will not be often harmful, however they’ll threaten boaters and beachgoers with harmful waves and disrupt the setting by stripping vitamins from sediment.

Lake Erie is vulnerable to seiches on account of its comparatively shallow depth and east-west orientation Zee Grant Michigan. The lake even skilled a seiche earlier this fall.

Lake Erie is the shallowest Nice Lake with a median depth of 62 ft and a most depth of 210 ft.

As of Thursday, October 23, windy situations will proceed throughout the Nice Lakes area advisory for small vessels due to wind speeds up to 30 km/hthe Nationwide Climate Service stated.

Be taught extra about seiches on Lake Erie right here.

What’s a seiche?

Seiches are standing waves (that means they oscillate in place) brought on by wind, heavy rainfall, or modifications in atmospheric air stress that trigger fluctuations in water ranges.

A seiche within the Great Lakes is similar to what can happen in a bathtubdue to the rocking movement.

Storms push water within the course of the wind, inflicting it to construct up close to coastlines. As soon as situations are calm, the water recedes, inflicting modifications in water ranges inside hours or days.

“Whereas most will not be harmful, some are lethal and have been recognized to brush individuals off piers and seashores, harm coastlines, sink ships, depart ships excessive and dry and trigger flooding.” Zee Grant Michigan stated.

Does Lake Erie see a variety of seiches?

“Seizures on Lake Erie have been documented as early because the early 1800s,” PutInBay.com famous.

In October 1844 Lake Erie experienced its most dramatic and deadly seichewhich flooded areas close to Buffalo, New York, with water as much as 20 ft deep, inflicting 78 casualties.

On September 5, 2025, a small seiche was recorded in Lake Erie strong windThat is reported by the Nice Lakes Fee.

What else makes Lake Erie distinctive?

That is additionally the case subsequent to the seiches of Lake Erie the warmest, smallest and shallowest Great Lake with the biggest business fishery. In keeping with Michigan Sea Grant, the lake has a various habitat of yellow perch, walleye, perch, trout and extra.

“Because of its variety of habitat, Lake Erie is residence to extra fish species than some other Nice Lake. The Lake Erie watershed helps a number of native and invasive fish species not present in different Nice Lakes watersheds,” in accordance with Michigan Sea Grant.

With 800 miles of shoreline, Lake Erie additionally shares borders with Michigan’s Decrease Peninsula, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and Ontario, Canada.

Contact Sarah Moore @ smoore@lsj.com