CALIFORNIA
KING TIDES
What are King Tides?
An LA Waterkeeper Blog
King Tides, very simply, are the biggest tides of
the year. They occur when the sun and moon exert
gravity on the earth in such a way that tidal motion
is maximized. During these days we experience the
highest high tides and the lowest low tides of the
year.
King Tides in California often coincide with winter
storms causing water levels to rise even higher.
SCIENTISTS
CAN USE
KING TIDES
TO STUDY
RISING SEAS.
Although King
Tides are not
created by climate change, the
dramatic tides
can give us a
window into the
future of how
rising sea levels
might affect our
coasts.
The Link Between King Tides and
Climate Change
One of the biggest predicted impacts of climate
change is a rise in sea levels. Increase in sea levels
have been observed by NOAA for many years and
more recent changes have been observed by NASA
satellites. If these trends continue as predicted, it
means big problems for us living on the California
coast. We can get an idea of what permanent sea