Handbuch der Seenkunde

book by Forel

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June 29, 2026

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Handbuch der Seenkunde is a significant work by François-Alphonse Forel, a Swiss physician and scientist often credited as the founder of limnology. Limnology is the scientific study of freshwater bodies, particularly lakes and ponds, encompassing their biological, physical, and chemical aspects.12

Forel's book, published in 1901, contributed to the understanding of lake waters, including the phenomenon of seiches, which are unexplained movements of lake waters. He also identified density currents in Alpine lakes, caused by cold, glacier-fed streams entering warmer lake waters, and studied earthquakes and glaciers.2

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François-Alphonse Forel
His standard work on limnology, Handbuch der Seenkunde (1901), included a study of the hitherto unexplained movement of lake waters known as seiches. Forel is credited with the discovery of density currents, which occur in the Alpine lakes because of the cold temperatures of entering glacier-derived streams. He also explained…
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His standard work on limnology, Handbuch der Seenkunde (1901), included a study of the hitherto unexplained movement of lake waters known as seiches. Forel is credited with the discovery of density currents, which occur in the Alpine lakes because of the cold temperatures of entering glacier-derived streams. He also explained…
Read More