Mobile version

The up and down of ocean tides

Ocean tides represent more than 80% of the variability of the surface in the open ocean. High tide, low tide... the rhythm of the tides seems to rock the oceans, reflecting the movements of the Moon and Sun. Precise knowledge of them is vital for many maritime and coastal activities. It is not easy to ignore tides, given that variations in sea level can reach 10 metres in some ports, and that currents change with the ebb and flow. Satellite altimetry now provides regular measurements of sea level in the middle of the ocean, which means that forecasting of tides has been improved. In addition to the publication of tide calendars, we have improved our understanding of the influence of the Moon on the Earth and, somewhat unexpectedly, on its climate.

  • Moon and Sun

    The combined attraction of the Moon and the Sun is behind this phenomenon and its variations.

  • Forecasts

    To calculate tides, they have to be broken down into sinusoidal waves.

  • Tides and climate

    In addition to their direct effects on maritime and coastal activities, tides appear to have a less well-known impact on the Earth's climate.

  • Tides around the world

    The tidal amplitude, the tidal period and wave propagation that they cause are not homogeneous around globe. Some examples in Atlantic Ocean and Meditarranean Sea.

  • Internal Tides

    Internal tides are tidal waves created by the bottom topography. They propagate at the interfaces between ocean layers. The 2D capability of Swot, and its high resolution, will also enable the mapping of internal tides.

EnglishFrançais
Rss feedsContactPartnersFAQLexiconLegal noticePersonal Data Protection PolicyMobile
You must enable cookies in your browser preferences to save the modifications
You are using an older version of Internet Explorer, please update to take full advantage of Aviso+ features

Customize the home page

View all widgets
Reduce display
Public profile
User profile

Select/Deselect widgets

Discover AVISO+

Customizable home, reading tools, products search guide, etc.. Discover step by step the features of the new site AVISO+.

Customizable homepage

This home page is composed of blocks called "widgets".

Rearrange the blocks with a "Click & Drop".

Hide a widget with the cross at the top right. Reset or add a widget with the "wrench" icon. The "User" and "Public" profiles offer a predefined organization.

All the modifications are automatically saved as cookies on your machine so as to enable you to have your own specific AVISO+.

Reading tools

Ease your reading by choosing the page background colour (black/white) and/or by modifying the font size.

Browsing menu and breadcrum trail

To ease your browsing through AVISO+, you can use at any time the main banner items with the interactive submenus or use the browsing menu on the left side of the screen (it is open by default). For more readiness of the page contents, you can fold and unfold the browsing menu by clicking on the tab. At any time you can know where you are thanks to the browsing menu or the breadcrum at the top of the page.

Products search guide

The first submenu of the "Data" banner item leads you to a new search form enabling you to find quickier the product that suits your needs. The list of results is updated according to your selection criteria.

AVISO+ Multimedia

The first submenu of the "Multimedia" banner item leads you to AVISO+ collections of images and videos linked to altimetry and its applications. Have a nice visit!