What are King Tides?
Every year in early winter, high tides in Oregon are higher than usual. These extreme high tides, commonly called “King Tides,” occur at a few specific times during the year when the moon is closest to the Earth. These tides are being documented to help visualize and understand the impacts of sea level rise (like flooding and erosion) in the coming decades. These are especially important to document in the winter when storm surge and high winds and waves are more frequent, creating even higher water levels.
Participation is Easy!
Surfrider partners with the King Tides project which invites you to participate in the project by taking pictures of areas impacted by this season’s king tides and sharing your photos on social media (#kingtides and #orkingtides). Over time as the project continues, photos taken at the same locations year after year will help to show changing sea levels. To view photos from past seasons visit the Flickr page or check out the King Tides Photo Map.
This year, the Initiative is focusing on the following dates:
- November 4-6, 2017
- December 3-5, 2017
- January 2-4, 2018
Why Participate in the King Tides Project?
Sea level is predicted to rise over the next century. Several areas of the Oregon coast are already vulnerable to high water levels because of their low elevations and proximity to the shore line. Rising sea levels means increased erosion and more frequent and expanded flooding in the future. An infrequent event today could become normal in the future. Understanding and documenting the extent and impacts of especially high tide events is becoming a popular way to highlight the need to prepare for the effects of future climate conditions. The King Tides photo project will generate information that can be used by coastal communities to develop plans to reduce vulnerability to rising sea levels. This is where you can help.
Watch this short video and for a brief explanation and a funky dance to show the dramatic effect of king tides!
To submit your photos to the King Tide project, visit the website here: http://www.oregonkingtides.net/
Information compiled from: http://www.oregonkingtides.net/