Powerful winds over Lake Erie on Dec. 29 caused major shifts in water levels, with waves carrying water so high and far that they exposed some of the lake’s floor beneath in a phenomenon known as a “seiche.”
Imagine the water sloshing in a bathtub from one side to the other. A seiche creates a similar effect, but on a much larger scale. On Dec. 29, the winds were so strong, they pushed water from one side of the lake to the other. The resulting low waters on one side can reveal fascinating sights not normally seen on the lake’s floor, but can also cause hazards for boats.
Wind gusts over 60 mph were seen over the lake on Dec. 29, the National Weather Service office in Cleveland, Ohio, said. Wave heights got up to 20 feet in the eastern basin of Lake Erie, and 14 to 18 feet in the central basin, the weather service there said…