King tides to return to the Bay Area, possibly exposing ocean treasures

"A coastal flood advisory goes into effect early Wednesday morning through 2 p.m. Sunday, the National Weather Service's Bay Area office announced. According to the weather service, the combination of the full moon and perihelion on Jan. 3, when Earth is closest to the sun, as well as the lunar perigee on Jan. 1, when the moon is closest to Earth, will lead to the extreme tides. "In other words all three planetary bodies are lined up and close to each other," a recent forecast discussion said. When they arrive, the waves could inundate 1.8 feet above normal in low-lying areas along the Pacific coast and Bay Area shorelines, potentially leading to flooding in parking lots, roads and parks."

"Despite their capacity for damaging property and public roads, however, king tides - which also bring extremely low tides - have the potential to reveal anything from forgotten fossils to secret, hidden islands that only emerge at specific times of the year. In 2022, for instance, San Jose State University professor Dustin Mulvaney discovered a trove of fossils after king tides exposed a rugged bluff near Santa Cruz, making for perfect exploring conditions. At the time, he suggested that one particular fossil once belonged to a 5- to 7-million-year-old marine mammal, while another research suggested it could be the cervical vertebrae of a balaenopterid baleen whale."

King tides are returning to the Bay Area this week and represent the highest predicted tides that typically occur once or twice annually. A coastal flood advisory is in effect early Wednesday through 2 p.m. Sunday, driven by alignment of the full moon, Earth's perihelion on Jan. 3 and the moon's perigee on Jan. 1. Waves could inundate up to 1.8 feet above normal in low-lying Pacific coast and Bay Area shoreline areas, risking flooding of parking lots, roads and parks. King tides also produce extremely low tides that can expose fossils, hidden islands, sunken boats, engines and old shipyards, revealing maritime history and marine life.

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