26 High Tide Facts You Should Know Before Going To The Beach

By definition, tides (be it a high tide or low tides) are natural phenomena that cause the rise and fall of sea levels as a result of three things: the gravitational force of the Moon, the Sun, and the rotation of the Earth.

Gravitational force pulls everything in the universe towards everything else that is there. Even though the Moon is so much smaller than the Sun, the Moon's pole has a much more pronounced effect on the Earth's oceans because it is closer to it than the Sun.

The pull of the Moon's gravity causes oceans to bulge outward on the side of the Earth that the Moon faces; on the other side of the Earth, the oceans bulge because of the Moon's pull on the solid ground. The Earth rotates on its axis without pause, so this bulge changes its location constantly.

The Moon, hence, tends to pull the Earth a bit along the line connecting the Earth and the Moon. The solid Earth is difficult to deform too much by this pull, but the fluid ocean water can freely move in response to the tidal force.

Where the bulge is more prominent, it's a high tide; where the water does not bulge, it is low tide.

The Moon's orbit that runs around the Earth causes changes in the tidal range. The following sections are full of fun and informative high tide facts; keep reading to know them all!

Facts About High Tides

Now that we have had a recap on the concept of high tides let's dive into some more high tide facts.

• The Moon's orbit around the Earth causes changes in the tidal range.
• An interactive combination of forces between the Sun, Moon, and Earth is termed tides.
• Approximately twice a month, during the new Moon and full Moon, when the Sun, Moon, and Earth form a line, the tidal force due to this alignment is at its maximum, and the tidal range is also at its maximum. This is phenomenon results in spring tides.
• The Sun and the Moon are separated at 90 degrees when the Moon is at the first or third quarter, and the Sun's tidal force cancels out the Moon's tidal force; at these points in the lunar cycle, the range of the tide is at its minimum. This phenomenon is called a neap tide.
• How many times do high tides occur in a day? Every 24 hours and 50 minutes, locations on Earth experience two high tides and two low tides.
• Tides are said to have a considerable impact on marine life; they cause an increase in the sea level resulting from the gathering of fish in one spot.
• In today's world, oceanographers know how to predict the time of high tides and low tides and their magnitude for a given location for a year in advance.
• The first scientist to admit that the Moon causes tides in 150 BC was Hellenistic astronomer Seleucus of Seleucia.
• The most relevant factor in creating tides is the pull of the Moon's gravity.
• The Moon exerts around two and a half times more force than the Sun, only 46%.
• Of all the renewable energy sources, tidal power is one of the most predictable ones.
• Is high tide good or bad? This entirely depends on the high tide, meaning if it is lenient, it is good.

Causes Of High Tides

After going through the facts, let's learn about how high tides are caused?

• A term called 'tidal constituents' refers to the forces contributing to tides.
• The rotation of the Earth is a tidal constituent, but the principal component is the Moon's gravity.
• A demonstration of tidal force is the Moon's ability to raise tides on the Earth.
• The Moon can exert a tidal force on the whole planet at once.
• This phenomenon affects Earth's surfaces which cause tides due to fluctuations in sea level.
• New Moon and Full Moon also affect tides and the tidal range.

Effects Of High Tides

A high tide causes many effects. Let's have a look at some of them.

• What happens when high tide occurs? Due to high tides, various fish move towards the creeks, which helps in fishing activity.
• What are high tides good for? Nature has the best ways to restore itself because when tides occur, they help clear the waste, and the coast becomes clean and clear.
• The ports do not get filled with sediments as tides occur.
• It is easier for ships to sail towards the ports during high tides.
• The most beneficial effect of high tides is that the sea level increases and helps get the seawater stored in salt pans from which salt can be extracted from the salt pans.
• Tidal force can be used as an option while generating electricity.
• One important factor in the maintenance of mangroves and coastal biodiversity is tides.

Dangers Of High Tides

Up until now, we have been through the concept of high tides and low tides, their causes, and their effects. Now, let's learn about high tides' adverse effects or potential dangers.

• How do tides affect humans? And can you swim in a high tide? Due to the lack of understanding of the timings of high tides and low tides, many swimmers have lost their lives or injured themselves while entering the sea at the wrong time.
• At spring tides, an increase in sea level will result in the water being brought much further up the beach than the usual high tide.
• Ocean currents are stronger during spring tides; hence, it is better to practice caution to avoid serious injuries.
• The highest tides are called king tides, which bring the tidal range to its maximum height of the entire year, resulting in coastal flooding in some areas such as South Florida.
• These tidal waters can become polluted with fertilizers, gas, oil, and other hazardous pollutants threatening marine life.