Live visualization of water levels in the seas of northwestern Europe.
Tidal patterns, ebb and flood, spring and neap tides, characteristic water levels and what sets them apart. What are the units in which water levels are given? I try to explain reference datums, time series, and statistical values here in a way you can picture.
Explore tidal dynamics and live water levels across the North Sea, the Channel, and parts of the Atlantic — in real time.
Launch map
On the scale where the Sun is an apple, Earth is a grain of sand that orbits that apple at a distance of 8.5 m and is pulled toward it. Gravitational attraction and inertia are what make ebb and flood possible. Why tides nevertheless look different around the world has other causes as well.
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Gauges turn the motion of the water into a clear picture of sea level over time. At the seam between land and sea they are the indispensable basis for storm-surge warnings, safe navigation in fairways and estuaries, understanding morphodynamic change, and long-term research into sea-level change.
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A short escape into practice, where people live with the tides. A guided walk into the Baie de Somme: estuary morphodynamics, salt-marsh flora, bird habitat, and shore defense — plus Le Crotoy’s historic flushing basin that keeps the harbour navigable.
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Real-time gauge stations across Northwestern Europe — North Sea, Channel, and adjacent Atlantic coasts — in one interactive view. Built for clarity when tides matter.
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