WEATHER WATCH COLUMN:  OCTOBER 2003 ISSUE

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Weather Watch:  What Are Tides?

Tides are the periodic sinking and rising of water levels in the ocean
and other large bodies of water. Tideas have an astronomical component
owing to the gravitational attraction of the moon and sun and a
component associated with weather.  The shape of the coastline and the
topography of the ocean floor affect the timing and height of tides.
NOAA's National Ocean Service maintains about 140 tide gauges within
the United States, its territories, and the United Nations Trust
Territories under its jurisdiction.  The information from these gauges
is used to predict the timing and height of the water levels at many
additional locations.  More about the science of tides can be found by
reading "Our Restless Tides"
(http://co-ops.nos.noaa.gov/restles1.html).

<-David Schultz, NOAA/National Severe Storms Laboratory>