A remote-controlled RC surfer rides on a king tide wave during last year’s astronomical event, in Huntington Beach, California. The National Weather Service said the California coast will see unusually high and low tides over the weekend.
Damian Dovarganes / AP
hide captions
switch captions
Damian Dovarganes / AP
A remote-controlled RC surfer rides on a king tide wave during last year’s astronomical event, in Huntington Beach, California. The National Weather Service said the California coast will see unusually high and low tides over the weekend.
Damian Dovarganes / AP
Over the weekend, the moon, Earth, and sun will align, causing the California coast to experience unusually high tides, known as king tides.
A planetary confluence combined with the gravitational pull of the sun and moon will yield some highest and lowest tide during the year and can lead to localized flooding in some coastal communities, especially San Francisco Bay Area.
Although the NWS has issued beach hazard advisories in Southern California, no significant damage is expected.
“These tides will peak mid-to-late morning,” the NWS said on Friday, adding that the “lowest tides of the season will occur a few hours later in the evenings.” afternoon.” The king’s tidal readings are expected to peak on Saturday.
Tides are a normal phenomenon that can occur several times a year when the new or full moon is closest to the Earth and the Earth is closest to the sun.
Water from “tide” floods a staircase along the Embarcadero in San Francisco in January 2017.
Jeff Chiu / AP
hide captions
switch captions
Jeff Chiu / AP
Water from “tide” floods a staircase along the Embarcadero in San Francisco in January 2017.
Jeff Chiu / AP
They are of particular interest to environmental scientists, who say that although tidal changes are not part of climate change, they provide a glimpse into how sea levels higher might look like due to global warming and the damage that can be caused locally in communities. They are indicators of how and where rising water levels can extend further inland, especially when they occur during stormy conditions. And, in addition to increasing flooding, eroding waves erode beaches and cliffs, and raise coastal groundwater levels.
In August 2020, the California Office of Legislative Analysis report:
“Scientific estimates suggest that sea level rise (SLR) magnitudes in California could be as little as half a foot by 2030 and as much as seven feet by 2100. Furthermore, storm surge, particularly are ‘spring tides’, or El Niño events that can produce significantly higher water levels than SLRs alone.”
According to the same study, up to $10 billion worth of property in California is likely to be underwater by 2050. An additional $6-10 billion will be at risk during high tides.
California King Tide Project Organizers are asking residents and visitors to take photos and share photos of the phenomenon over the weekend, “to create a record of changes to our coastlines and estuaries. ” The photos will be added to a map of this season’s king tide, in groups.
The organization also organizes activities and guided walks for the public at various beaches on weekends.
