King Tides Offer a Glimpse into the Future of Sea Level Rise
It will be a weekend of coastal extremes.
At low tide, look out for sparkling feather boa kelp or flamboyant sea slugs, a menagerie of intertidal or even subtidal critters. Seven hours later, the tides will surge up over seven feet—about two feet higher than regular high tide—submerging Marin County’s Mill Valley section of the Bay Trail and lapping up onto parts of the Embarcadero, San Francisco’s Bay-facing esplanade.
Such is the king tide—the greatest tidal range of the year. The California coast will see its highest highs and lowest lows this weekend, January 21 and 22.
King tide isn’t a scientific term. “It’s a catchy phrase that was coined in Australia to describe the highest high tides of the year,” says Annie Frankel, statewide manager of the California King Tides project, part of the California Coastal Commission.