MALIBU—On November 14, the city of Malibu announced that the public can participate in the California Coastal Commission’s California King Tides Project invites coastal residents to capture photos of King Tides, the highest tides of the year, to which will help future planning for sea level rise associated with climate change.
-Select a spot along the coast.
-Check the high tide time near your location on the King Tides website map.
-Upload your photos to the King Tides website.
One event was held from Friday, November 15 thru Sunday, November 17. Another will take place from December 13 thru December 15.
These photos help the Coastal Commission and others identify the areas that are most vulnerable to flooding, prepare for future sea level rise, and increase awareness about climate impacts.
While King Tides aren’t caused by sea level rise, they preview the higher water levels expected in the coming decades due to climate change. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide that traps heat, melting glaciers and expanding ocean water. This raises sea levels, potentially by one to two feet within a few decades.
King Tides occur due to the gravitational pull of the Earth, Moon, and Sun, resulting in the highest predicted tides, about one to two feet above typical high tides.
The coastal zone, which was specifically mapped by the Legislature, covers an area larger than the State of Rhode Island. On land the coastal zone varies in width from several hundred feet in highly urbanized areas up to five miles in certain rural areas, and offshore the coastal zone includes a three-mile-wide band of ocean. The coastal zone established by the Coastal Act does not include San Francisco Bay, where development is regulated by the Bay Conservation and Development Commission.
For more details https://www.coastal.ca.gov/whoweare.html.
By Trevor