Tides and the weather

[lugchris]

Hi never been on here before and ended up here by accident,I am a sea angling bait digger(worms) and have a keen interest in all I see when I am out and about and have noticed obviously the rampant recent weather of not just this year but also the previous and comparing with the past years of which I have spent out in it.I have also seen the the change in tidal patterns and this is what brought me here.
I have just started to try to find out the the difference in tidal hights as regards the month of the year as having worked with them for nearly twenty years (damn I wish I had kept my old tide tables) and knowing that know we are on a down cycle.
This I mean the spring tides are getting cyclikly (cant spell) smaller than the previous 100 year tides that we experienced over the past 10 years and looking at future tide tables which will gradually reduce further and basically trying to link this basically huge cycle to weather patterns in the past even as far back as the Roman viniards in the UK as I am not a huge believer in mans global warming.
Long windidly does anyone know how to access previous tide tables whether ten years old or a couple of thousand years as this I think combined with weather patterns of the specific time would shed more light on whether it is a natural phenomenon or mans meddling.
I am fed up of listening to people who single mindedly summise without spending the time being rained on and would love to see if there is a link as I see lots of changes in tide times hights and distibution of marine wildlife that most would not see on a day to day basis.
anyway thanks if you have got this far.

[davecatt]

Hi Chris welcome to WAB

If you Google the following 3 web sites you might find something of use

!. Ocean Net

2. British Oceanagraphic Data Centre

3. Proudman Oceanographic Labratory
( be sure to check for any links to other sites)

Also with your interest in the nature of the sea shore you may be interested in the Water life forums here on wab.

Good luck
Dave

[The Woodman]

Hi Chris and welcome from me too.

If I understand you correctly you have noticed a change of tidal patterns and that spring tides are getting smaller.

I live on the north west coast close to the north east corner of Morecambe Bay and for the last eighteen years have worked with tide tables here. I haven't noticed that the range of spring tides or any other has changed. As you know, the highest spring tides come in the spring and autumn equinoxes on the new and full moon when the gravitational pull due to the lining up of earth, moon and sun is the greatest.

The nearest regular reference point and published tables is Barrow in Furness. Over the relatively short period of time that I've followed the tides the heights of spring tides have remained constant every year to within a few centimetres. For example, the biggest spring tide was on the full moon of April 11th and was 9.6 metres. This autumn the biggest was on 22nd August following the new moon at 9.9 m.

These heights have remained constant -ish and in reality are affected by air pressure and wind direction.

I'm struggling to see how any other factor apart from the variation of gravitational pull due to the errant orbits of sun, moon and earth can affect tide heights generally - or is that the answer - the heavenly bodies are on a cyclical change of orbit and correspondingly the tides are lower due them being further apart.

Interesting question.