The water miracle of Constance: a phenomenon that amazes nature!

The water miracle of Constance: a phenomenon that amazes nature!

Konstanz, Deutschland - On February 23, 1549, the city of Constance experienced an extraordinary natural phenomenon, which later entered history as the "water miracle of Constance". Like the Südkurier reports, raised and lowered the water level of Lake Constance several times an hour, which corresponds to about half a meter. Christoph Schulthaiß, who wrote at the time as a chronicler and later became mayor of Constance, documented both the ups and downs of the water and the impressive observation that the water of the Rhine in Lower Sea flowed backwards.

But what is behind this fascinating phenomenon? Professor Frank Peeters from the Limnological Institute of the University of Konstanz explains that the exact conditions for such a water miracle depended on strong winds and suitable vibrations in the Constance funnel. Waves were generated with a special height and frequency that led to the remarkable changes in the water level.

the Seerhein and its meaning

A central player in this story is the Seerhein, a river that connects the Obersee and Lower Sea and flows through the communities of Constance and Reichenau. The Seerhein, which comes from the ice age and represents the connection between the different layers of water, has a depth of up to 25 meters and is very usable for shipping traffic. Like academic.ru , the Lower Sea is around 30 cm lower than the Obersee and could therefore have contributed to the observed phenomena.

The water miracle apparently limited itself to the Bay of Constance and occurred under specific weather conditions, which are strongly influenced by the regional meteorological diversity. Fehen storms, fog and thunderstorms are typical weather symptoms in this area that give Lake Constance such a varied climate. According to bodensee.net such climatic conditions are not only fascinating for nature, but also for the region itself, which benefits from tourism.

scientific explanations and historical records

scientists see the “water miracle” as a rare combination of wind conditions and the special structure of Lake Constance, especially in the vicinity of the Constance funnel. Historical measurements that were carried out in the 1960s and 1970s are unfortunately rare, which makes it difficult today's analyzes. However, the chronological records from the time of the water miracle are valuable, even if many influencing factors, such as changes in the bank and buildings, have been documented since then.

There is also a certain risk: the backflow of the Rhine could be explained by a level difference of about 20 centimeters between Upper and Lower Sea, which reinforces the exciting theory. In science, the term “Seiches” for such water movements was introduced, and it is interesting to observe that similar phenomena were also documented in other lakes such as the Geneva Lake.

The "water miracle of Constance" not only remains an exciting chapter in natural history, but also shows how significant such natural events can be for understanding our environment. Not only do you make curious, but also invite you to observe and research this unique region on Lake Constance.