Articles | Volume 22, issue 3
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1681-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/os-22-1681-2026
Research article
 | Highlight paper
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28 May 2026
Research article | Highlight paper |  | 28 May 2026

Tide of the Time: Global tidal characteristics observed from in-situ measurements

Michael G. Hart-Davis, Roman Sulzbach, Stefan A. Talke, Ivan D. Haigh, Marta Marcos, Philip Woodworth, Richard Ray, Ole B. Andersen, Florent Lyard, Ergane Fouchet, Denise Dettmering, Maik Thomas, and Florian Seitz

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Cited articles

Akan, Ç., Moghimi, S., Özkan-Haller, H. T., Osborne, J., and Kurapov, A.: On the dynamics of the Mouth of the Columbia River: results from a three-dimensional fully coupled wave-current interaction model, J. Geophys. Res.-Oceans, 122, 5218–5236, https://doi.org/10.1002/2016JC012307, 2017. a
Andersen, O. B., Egbert, G. D., Erofeeva, S. Y., and Ray, R. D.: Mapping nonlinear shallow-water tides: a look at the past and future, Ocean Dynam., 56, 416–429, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10236-006-0060-7, 2006. a
Arbic, B. K.: Atmospheric forcing of the oceanic semidiurnal tide, Geophys. Res. Lett., 32, L02610, https://doi.org/10.1029/2004GL021668, 2005. a
Beemster, J. G. W., Talke, S. A., Van Maren, D. S., Giloy, N., Wünsche, A., Zhang, W., Grasso, F., and Hoitink, A. J. F.: Human footprint on estuarine tidal hydrodynamics, Nat. Geosci., https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-026-01969-4, 2026. a
Bradshaw, E., Rickards, L., and Aarup, T.: Sea level data archaeology and the Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS), GeoResJ, 6, 9–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.grj.2015.02.005, 2015. a
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Editorial statement
Tide gauges have been critical sources for sea level research, enabling the development of tidal theory and an understanding of local variations that occur across the global oceans. Tides play important roles in a variety of oceanographic and geodetic applications; characterizing their spatial variability is valuable for applications ranging from fishing to flood risk management. Coastal characteristics of ocean tides are presented based on 3,591 high-frequency tide gauge observations. The analysis shows that 125 out of 237 long-time series show statistically significant trends in one or more tide constituents. Particularly the novel results on tidal high-water durations and tidal trends are of interest. The paper provides a global summary of a number of tidal characteristic quantities that will be useful for tide experts but also for the greater oceanographic community, in particular sea level researchers, providing insights crucial for a wide range of biogeochemical processes. It also presents insights that can be useful for local communities. This paper, along with its accompanying data, could become an important reference in the field.
Short summary
Ocean tides are a critical component of the global climate system, influencing a wide range of geophysical processes. Tide gauges have been a valuable source for developing the theory of ocean tides and for understanding their variability. We provide updated and new insights on tidal properties using the Global Extreme Sea Level Analysis tide gauge dataset, intended to be useful to a range of applications, from navigation and fishing communities to ocean scientists and tidal experts.
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