Our new Humboldt Bay King Tides Photo Initiative has launched an online photo album featuring over 130 of the best 2012 King Tides photos taken by more than 50 volunteer and staff photographers!
What are King Tides?
King Tides are extreme high tide events that occur when the sun and moon's gravitational forces magnify one another. King Tides tend to be more dramatic in the winter when storms cause increased wind and wave activity along the coast. These high water events hint at how flooding from rising sea levels will impact our beaches, coastal areas, and shoreline communities in the not-so-distant future.
On Sat. Feb. 2, we will held a King Tides photo exhibit during Arts Alive, 6-9 pm, at Humboldt Baykeeper, 217 E Street, Eureka (next to Ramone’s in Old Town). If you missed it, you can check out the photos - and many more - online at Humboldt Bay King Tides Photo Initiative.
Above: Jackson Ranch Road flooded by Liscom Slough, Arcata Bottoms. Photo by Brian Powell, 12-13-12.
Climate Change, Sea Level Rise, and the King Tide
Increases in global sea levels have been recorded by NOAA tide gauges for many years. The steady rise has been attributed to warming of the oceans along with melting glaciers and land-based ice sheets. Climate modeling combined with these direct observations suggest sea level rise will continue well into the future, with significant implications for the Humboldt Bay Area’s shoreline. Scientific analyses predict sea level could rise 16 inches by 2050, with upper estimates of more than 55 inches by 2100.
Understanding the future impacts from sea level rise is a first step toward adapting to these changes. For additional information on Humboldt Bay area climate change impacts and adaptation, please visit our webpage on Sea Level Rise.
At right: Sierra Pacific Industries' lumber mill on Mad River Slough in Manila. Photo by Berty Welty, 12-14-12.
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