The narrow band between high and low tide is Puget Sound’s most protean ecosystem, where the rhythms of existence fluctuate with the twice-daily expansion and contraction of our inland sea.
I wish we could all return to living in balance with the natural world. Tides and Moon cycles are still important to those who rely on the sea or the shore. But most people aren't paying attention, that is until their island is being submerged by the ocean.
Loved this-as an avid tidepooler (studied marine bio back in the day), I watch for the low tides to explore...but I confess I've not taken the time (nor likely had the patience) to spend 8 hours there. Thank you!!
David, what a fittingly thematic topic to my week! Next month, I am leading my rock club on a fieldtrip to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A few days ago, I spent quite a lot of time looking at tide charts and mapping distances on Google maps to plot and plan the itinerary.
Something that should have occurred to me, but didn't until I dug into the details, is that the ebb and flow means high and low tides happen at different times in different places. Low tide in Port Angeles is an hour and a half later than low tide at Neah Bay 70 miles away, for instance.
Perhaps my interest in tide charts triggered the algorithms to serve up a couple of tide-related videos this week, too. --I have to assume your topic is serendipitous, not part of the algorithm. :-)
Even though it's four years old, here's a Tom Scott video I was just shown explaining how tides cause isometric loading, which effects the height of a coastline.
-The Part of Britain that Rises and Falls Twice a Day
Really enjoyed this David-- what a fine idea to spend the day in one spot experiencing a full tidal cycle. Several years ago I started adding significant summertime minus tides to my calendar, mostly for low-tide explores with kids; it has had the effect of feeling a little more attuned to the rhythms of the Sound. Also having my office relocated to Harbor Island for the past two years where I can conveniently see (and smell) the level of the tide. Early in my earth science career, while conducting gravity surveys all over North America, the idea of earth tides (the daily vertical deformation of the earth's surface! due to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon) was astounding. Despite being landlocked by over 250 miles and studying geology, my favorite college class by far, was the PROTEAN discipline of marine biology-- very likely due to the nine days spent at the UW Friday Harbor Labs.
My recently late husband, Gregory Reinemer, taught physics at Highline College. He did an extracurricular (?) talk on tides one time. I wish I could find a recording of it. He loved that stuff! I do, too. The summer I moved to WA, 1980, I took a class with lots of field trips at The Evergreen State College with Pete Taylor. It was called Coastal Natural History. I learned so much about my new region. Moon snail casings, turban snails, limpets, you name it.
David.....what a great idea and follow through! Perhaps at some point you can visit one of the more constricted areas to the north (W or SW Lopez, perhaps) where the exchanges induce big whirlpools and standing waves as the water hurries to keep up
I wish we could all return to living in balance with the natural world. Tides and Moon cycles are still important to those who rely on the sea or the shore. But most people aren't paying attention, that is until their island is being submerged by the ocean.
Loved this-as an avid tidepooler (studied marine bio back in the day), I watch for the low tides to explore...but I confess I've not taken the time (nor likely had the patience) to spend 8 hours there. Thank you!!
David, what a fittingly thematic topic to my week! Next month, I am leading my rock club on a fieldtrip to the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A few days ago, I spent quite a lot of time looking at tide charts and mapping distances on Google maps to plot and plan the itinerary.
Something that should have occurred to me, but didn't until I dug into the details, is that the ebb and flow means high and low tides happen at different times in different places. Low tide in Port Angeles is an hour and a half later than low tide at Neah Bay 70 miles away, for instance.
Perhaps my interest in tide charts triggered the algorithms to serve up a couple of tide-related videos this week, too. --I have to assume your topic is serendipitous, not part of the algorithm. :-)
Even though it's four years old, here's a Tom Scott video I was just shown explaining how tides cause isometric loading, which effects the height of a coastline.
-The Part of Britain that Rises and Falls Twice a Day
https://youtu.be/lCA0II1sVZA?si=075irBKczPHN9EQi
And, Veritasium also served up a mindblowing explanation of how tides are predicted. (Hooray for Lord Kelvin!)
-The Most Powerful Computer You've Never Heard of
https://youtu.be/IgF3OX8nT0w?si=rFbqFKYHA9tMJ9Xu
Really enjoyed this David-- what a fine idea to spend the day in one spot experiencing a full tidal cycle. Several years ago I started adding significant summertime minus tides to my calendar, mostly for low-tide explores with kids; it has had the effect of feeling a little more attuned to the rhythms of the Sound. Also having my office relocated to Harbor Island for the past two years where I can conveniently see (and smell) the level of the tide. Early in my earth science career, while conducting gravity surveys all over North America, the idea of earth tides (the daily vertical deformation of the earth's surface! due to the gravitational pull of the sun and moon) was astounding. Despite being landlocked by over 250 miles and studying geology, my favorite college class by far, was the PROTEAN discipline of marine biology-- very likely due to the nine days spent at the UW Friday Harbor Labs.
Nice, David. This reminds me of the premise -- sustained observation -- behind Bill McKibben's 'Age of Missing Information'.
My recently late husband, Gregory Reinemer, taught physics at Highline College. He did an extracurricular (?) talk on tides one time. I wish I could find a recording of it. He loved that stuff! I do, too. The summer I moved to WA, 1980, I took a class with lots of field trips at The Evergreen State College with Pete Taylor. It was called Coastal Natural History. I learned so much about my new region. Moon snail casings, turban snails, limpets, you name it.
David.....what a great idea and follow through! Perhaps at some point you can visit one of the more constricted areas to the north (W or SW Lopez, perhaps) where the exchanges induce big whirlpools and standing waves as the water hurries to keep up