King Tides offer sea-level rise sneak peek
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The stairs at Tourmaline north in Pacific Beach during a 2023 King Tide. Photo: Courtesy of California King Tides Project
King tides are here.
Driving the news: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association is projecting abnormally high tides this week, and again over Christmas, with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography reporting station expecting tides over 6 feet on the following days:
- Tuesday, Dec. 12 at 7:43am
- Wednesday, Dec. 13 at 8:20am
- Thursday, Dec. 14 at 9:01am
- Friday, Dec. 15 at 9:46am
- Saturday, Dec. 23 at 5:59am
- Sunday, Dec. 24 at 6:37am
- Monday, Dec. 25 at 7:15am
- Tuesday, Dec. 26 at 7:52am
- Wednesday, Dec. 27 at 8:28am
Why it matters: King tides — a "non–scientific term used to describe exceptionally high tides," per the National Ocean Service — generate interest because they can offer a preview of what sea-level rise might mean for our coastlines and infrastructure.
- "The water level reached by an extreme tide today will be the same water level of more frequent moderate tides in the future," according to the California King Tides project, a community program managed by the California Coastal Commission highlighting the phenomenon. "Seeing what areas flood during these events can help us plan for the future."
Yes, but: The worst flooding occurs when high tides coincide with high surf, and that doesn't look likely in the coming days, said Adam Roser, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's San Diego office.
- "If we get a winter storm or anything like that, it can have more significant impacts," Roser said.
Zoom in: The California King Tide Project has collected photos of water levels along the coast during king tide events and mapped them across the state, to create a record of the changing coastline.
What we're watching: The flip side of extreme high tides is extreme low tides later in the day, according to the California Sea Grant, a collaboration between NOAA and the state of California.
- "Roughly seven hours after the peak high tide, beach goers can see the splendor of tide pools, critters and coast that typically remains hidden to those of us without gills," the research institution writes.
Of note: The San Diego Natural History Museum outlines a simple hike to the La Jolla Shores tide pools, the same ones John Steinbeck describes in Cannery Row.