King tides are no joke

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the phenomenon of King tides, particularly focusing on recent occurrences and their implications for safety at coastal areas. Participants share observations, personal experiences, and explore the factors contributing to these exceptionally high tides.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express concern for safety during King tides, referencing past incidents where individuals were swept out to sea due to sneaker waves.
  • Several participants mention their unfamiliarity with King tides and seek to understand their characteristics and implications.
  • Some contributions highlight the unique tidal dynamics of Fundy Bay, suggesting that the bay's structure amplifies tidal ranges.
  • Participants note that King tides are influenced by various astronomical factors, including the Moon's perigee, the Earth's perihelion, and the alignment of the Moon's orbital inclination, along with seasonal storm activity.
  • There is a repeated emphasis on the need for awareness and caution during King tides, especially in light of recent events.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally agree on the dangers posed by King tides and the need for caution, but there is no consensus on the specifics of their occurrence in different regions, such as Fundy Bay, and whether King tides are present there.

Contextual Notes

Some statements about the contributing factors to King tides depend on specific astronomical conditions and may not be universally applicable. The discussion includes varying levels of understanding about tidal phenomena, which may affect interpretations.

Janus
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As of late, we have been experiencing a good number of exceptionally high or 'King' tides. For example, this image is from video taken just recently at Cannon Beach, OR. My wife and I visit there often, and this particular ramp is an beach access we'll generally use.
king2.webp

For comparison, this is a aerial image of the same area on a day with a more typical tide. The arrow points to the ramp.
King1.webp
 
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Not funny at all. Hope nobody is been injured.
 
mcastillo356 said:
Not funny at all. Hope nobody is been injured.
Unfortunately, a over a month ago, at least two people who failed to take the King tide warnings seriously were caught by sneaker waves, and swept out into the ocean. You need to be aware at all times at the beach, but even more so during King tides.
 
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Never heard of "king tides" before, but going on a little reading spree I found that the tidal range seems to be biggest in Fundy Bay. Whether there are king tides there I haven't yet been able to confirm.

I linked to Wikipedia as we're in the General Forum.
 
Fundy Bay is structured so that any tides gets bigger as they go up the bay. The bay funnels tides into a smaller narrower bay and the tides get boosted. Same would happen with a tsunami.
 
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sbrothy said:
Never heard of "king tides" before, but going on a little reading spree I found that the tidal range seems to be biggest in Fundy Bay. Whether there are king tides there I haven't yet been able to confirm.
The tidal range is very large along the beaches of Brittany in NW France.
 
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Northern Pacific Ocean weather during the winter months driving the water farther inland.
The waves must scrape away some of the beach.
 
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BillTre said:
Fundy Bay is structured so that any tides gets bigger as they go up the bay. The bay funnels tides into a smaller narrower bay and the tides get boosted. Same would happen with a tsunami.
Scary thought. Than again I figure tsunamis are no fun in general.
 
sbrothy said:
Never heard of "king tides" before, but going on a little reading spree I found that the tidal range seems to be biggest in Fundy Bay. Whether there are king tides there I haven't yet been able to confirm.

I linked to Wikipedia as we're in the General Forum.
It's exceptionally high tides for the region. The contributing factors are 1. The Moon being near its perigee during a full or new Moon. 2.The Earth being near its perihelion. (So, this time of year is when they are going to occur.) 3. The alignment of the Moon's orbital inclination. Since it is also the time year for more storms, they can be compounded by storm surges.
 
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Janus said:
It's exceptionally high tides for the region. The contributing factors are 1. The Moon being near its perigee during a full or new Moon. 2.The Earth being near its perihelion. (So, this time of year is when they are going to occur.) 3. The alignment of the Moon's orbital inclination. Since it is also the time year for more storms, they can be compounded by storm surges.

Yeah, makes sense.
 

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