A standing wave that oscillates back and forth in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water, such as a lake, bay or harbor, typically triggered by a sudden change in atmospheric pressure, strong winds, or a seismic disturbance that sets the whole water body sloshing at its own natural resonant period. Unlike an ordinary wind-driven wave, a seiche can continue rocking for hours after the triggering force has passed, and in enclosed basins such as the Great Lakes it has produced sudden, unexpected water-level swings of several feet along shorelines many miles from where the disturbance began.
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Sudden shifts in barometric pressure and strong winds across the Great Lakes basin generate seiches, standing waves that can raise or lower water levels by several feet within hours, most famously on Lake Erie.
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