The Roundhouse Aquarium is hosting a King Tide Watch on Friday, Jan. 12 morning at the base of the Manhattan Beach Pier for the public to see and and take photos of the intense tides, and learn about the relationship between sea level rise and climate change.
King tides are the highest tides of the year and normally happen during the winter months. Ocean tides are caused by the moon’s gravitational pull, and king tides happen when a full or new moon’s gravitational pull is strongest.
One is set to hit in Manhattan Beach at about 9 a.m. next Friday.
Unlike typical tides, these help monitor and predict how future sea levels will affect coastlines, Roundhouse officials said in the release.
King tides, which are up to two feet higher than average tides, give an idea of how high everyday tides will be in the next few decades due to climate change, it added, something scientists have consistently warned about.
San Francisco, for example, is projected to see a rise between 1.1 and 2.7 feet by 2050, according to the California King Tides Project, and by 2100 could experience between 3.4 and 6.9 feet of sea level rise. That could go up to more than 10 feet of rise if there is extreme melting of the West Antarctic ice sheet.
But on Jan. 12, the public can join climate enthusiasts and scientists in Manhattan Beach to document the natural phenomenon. The idea is to imagine that high tide flooding streets, beaches and wetlands on a daily basis to help plan for the impending rise.
The photos will be uploaded to the California Coastal Commission’s California King Tides Project to keep track of the impact on the local coastline.
The California King Tides Project was launched in 2010 by a partnership of state and federal agencies and non-profit organizations, including the California Coastal Commission.
Photos of king tides, according to the project, help document the current flood risk in coastal areas, visualize the impacts of future sea level rise in a community, validate climate change models by comparing model predictions with the high-tide reality, and serve as a living record of climate change for future generations.
RSVP for the Manhattan Beach King Tide Watch at www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides. The event will take place from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. at the base of the Manhattan Beach Pier, 2 Manhattan Beach Blvd. Find other king tide events around California at www.coastal.ca.gov/kingtides.
