Ocean tide is a periodic sea-level oscillation driven primarily by the gravitational forces of the Moon and Sun acting on Earth’s oceans, modulated by Earth’s rotation and the configuration of ocean basins. It manifests as propagating tidal waves with characteristic constituents (e.g., M2, S2, K1) describable by harmonic analysis. Tidal dynamics are governed by the shallow-water equations on a rotating sphere, incorporating Coriolis effects, coastal and seafloor topography, and resonance within semi-enclosed basins. Ocean tides play a fundamental role in coastal hydrodynamics, mixing, sediment transport, and energy dissipation in the Earth–Moon system.
A study led by Wageningen University & Research shows that human interventions have significantly changed tides in river estuaries over the past centuries. In many regions around the world, the difference between high and ...
Earth Sciences
Apr 24, 2026
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Both winds and tides inject energy into the ocean. Much of that energy is then transported up to thousands of miles by internal waves: large-scale underwater waves that can travel between ocean basins. Quantifying the amount ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 29, 2026
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Tides not only affect regions along the coast, their periodic fluctuations are carried upstream inland through coastal rivers. River sections particularly affected by these tidal pulses are exposed to an increased risk of ...
Earth Sciences
Mar 18, 2026
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Climate change's rising seas may threaten tens of millions more people than scientists and government planners originally thought because of mistaken research assumptions on how high coastal waters already are, a new study ...
Environment
Mar 4, 2026
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Standing on the coast and looking out to sea, you cannot detect the changes with the naked eye. But in northern Germany, sea levels are rising, as is the risk of flooding for the lower-lying coastal regions.
Earth Sciences
Feb 23, 2026
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I grew up on the beaches of Pembrokeshire in south-west Wales. Visits to Tenby were my family's summer ritual: sand between our toes, paddling in rockpools, strawberry syrup on ice cream.
Environment
Feb 13, 2026
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16
When most of us look out at the ocean, we see a mostly flat blue surface stretching to the horizon. It's easy to imagine the sea beneath as calm and largely static—a massive, still abyss far removed from everyday experience.
Earth Sciences
Jan 29, 2026
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Over Christmas, vegetables, bananas and insulation foam washed up on beaches along England's southeast coast. They were from 16 containers spilled by the cargo ship Baltic Klipper in rough seas. In the new year, a further ...
Environment
Jan 24, 2026
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693
When hurricanes or strong storms sweep up the United States' East Coast and meet the shores of the country's largest estuary, Chesapeake Bay, the familiar pattern of storm activity gets a little more complicated. A new study, ...
Imagine you're walking along a beach, talking to your friend, enjoying the sunshine. Time goes by and it's time to head back. But as you approach the headland you had walked around previously, you realize that's not possible ...
Earth Sciences
Oct 20, 2025
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