seiche
SAYSH
A standing wave that oscillates back and forth in an enclosed or partially enclosed body of water — a lake, a bay, a harbor, a swimming pool — set in motion by earthquake shaking, wind, or atmospheric pressure changes. The water sloshes from one end to the other and back again, sometimes for hours. Seiches can be triggered by distant earthquakes: the 1964 Alaska earthquake caused seiches in lakes and harbors across the continental United States, thousands of miles from the epicenter.
Etymology
Swiss French seiche, possibly related to German seichen, to sink or settle. The word originated on Lake Geneva, where seiches have been documented since the 18th century.
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