Internal seiching results from thermal stratification. The layers separated by the thermoclines oscillate relative to one another. Observed uninodal periods for Loch Earn, Lake Geneva, Lake Baikal, and Lake Cayuga (New York) are approximately 16, 96, 900 (binodal), and 65 hours, respectively.
Because hypolimnion water is very different from epilimnion water with regard to both thermal and biological characteristics, the massive movements of water and the turbulent exchanges that can occur during internal seiching are very important. Substantial portions of the bottom of shallow lakes can experience periodic alternation of exposure to hypolimnetic and epilimnetic water, and hypolimnetic water can be periodically exposed to the surface.
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