October King Tide

A time-lapse video of the rising tide during October's KingTide at Tillamook Bay. Music and Photography by Stevan Hay.

[valeriebresnahan]

Tides are so fascinating and relation to the moon. Got me thinking again and moon watching.
And why do they affect the oceans and not oujr Great Lakes?

[Maotharp]

Valerie, tides are large flows of water between connected bodies of water. Oceans and rivers are what are effected. In the case of rivers, tides rise up the river (causing it to flow backwards) up to the first waterfalls or dams that prevent the tide from going any further. In the case of the Columbia River, for example, the tide rises and falls to the Bonneville Dam that is 146 miles from the ocean. Beyond the dam there is no tide effect. Lakes are isolated from the ocean by falls or dams that act as barriers to the tides.

The gravity of the sun and Moon is what pulls the ocean waters up at high tide. The King Tides occur at New Moons, in Spring and Fall, at the equinoxes when the moon is on the dark side of the earth during the day, and the light side of the Earth during the night. This alignment results in the greatest amount of gravity being imposed on the ocean waters. These high tides are increasing as more polar ice melts and the ocean levels are rising.