ScienceAugust 21, 2026

seiche

SAYSH

Definition

A standing wave in an enclosed or semi-enclosed body of water, caused by seismic activity, landslides, or atmospheric pressure changes.

Etymology

Derived from the Swiss French word 'seiche,' meaning 'to sway,' which was historically used by limnologists to describe rhythmic sloshing observed in Swiss lakes.

In the news

The article uses the term to describe how water trapped in a narrow Greenland fjord oscillated back and forth, creating a persistent 92-second pulse that radiated seismic energy globally.

On 16 September 2023, seismometers on every continent began recording the same signal repeating every 92 seconds, and it continued for nine days. The source was a Greenland fjord, where a collapsed mountainside had thrown a 200-metre wave that was

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ScienceBlog.com

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