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For the past century, if not longer, fishermen and boaters in the Great Lakes have traded stories about monumental waves. They’ve gone by many names. “Freak tidal wave.” “Wall of water.” “Killer seiche.”
chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-la…
For the past century, if not longer, fishermen and boaters in the Great Lakes have traded stories about monumental waves. They’ve gone by many names. “Freak tidal wave.” “Wall of water.” “Killer seiche.”
chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-la…
Scientists say many of these events were actually meteotsunamis – tsunami-like waves triggered by atmospheric disturbances.
While true tsunamis are set off by earthquakes or landslides, meteotsunamis are generated from dramatic changes in atmospheric pressure and straight-line winds.
Collectively, those forces generate a large wave front that effectively piles up water on side of the lake.
Collectively, those forces generate a large wave front that effectively piles up water on side of the lake.
Imagine this. A typical Lake Michigan wave rolls in every 3 to 5 seconds. Meteotsunamis can last 2 minutes to 2 hours. Many times their size and scope is so large, they can’t even be discerned by the naked eye.
I’ll tell you a fitting, but tragic example …
I’ll tell you a fitting, but tragic example …
On June 26, 1954, a fast-moving storm raced across over Lake Michigan from Wisconsin to southwestern Michigan and Indiana, setting in motion a menacing wave front that hit Michigan City, Ind. and then rolled back toward Chicago where hundreds were gathered along the lakefront.
By that time, the wave had grown as high as 10 feet tall. It spanned at least 11 miles long, from North suburban Wilmette to North Ave. Beach in Chicago. And it roiled the shoreline roughly 15 minutes, killing eight people.
While this kind of wave was thought to be rare, scientists say it’s not. More than 100 of these occur in the Great Lakes each year. And Chicago sees the most of anywhere in the 4,500 miles of Great Lakes in the United States.
The only confirmed photographic evidence of one of these in the Great Lakes was captured last year in Ludington, Mich., by photographer Todd Reed. During a hail/rainstorm, he snapped a few shots of the lakefront pier underwater. Ten minutes later, the water had subsided.
Reed actually captured one of two meteotsunamis to hit Ludington in one day. That day just so happened to be Friday the 13th.
One of the rare videos that appears to show a meteotsunami wave front was taken in Holland (the country, not Michigan).
As you'll notice, beach-goers hardly know anything is wrong until the wave continues to pummel them.
As you'll notice, beach-goers hardly know anything is wrong until the wave continues to pummel them.
Underscoring the devastating power behind these waves, here's damage from a recent meteotsunami that clobbered a shoreline near Cleveland.
NOAA's Great Lakes Environmental Research Lab, in collaboration with University of Wisconsin, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and University of Michigan, are now developing a meteotsunami warning and forecast system.
I could honestly go on and on for days about this, but strongly recommend that you read the full piece on this phenomenon. chicagotribune.com/news/ct-met-la…
