seiche

Standing waves that occur on the surface of a lake or the sea, whose origin can be small seismic movements, strong winds, or sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. This wave phenomenon was first studied on Lake Geneva, in 1890, by the Swiss hydrologist François-Alphonse Forel (1841-1912). The oscillation period can vary from a few minutes to several hours. Seiches occur with some regularity on the coasts of the Western Mediterranean.