Tidal Cycle Distortion in Carpinteria Salt Marsh, California

Abstract

Strong tidal distortion, consistent with descriptions of other flood tide- <br /><br />dominated shallow systems, was evident in tide gauge records from Carpinteria <br /><br />Salt Marsh (CSM), a 93 ha wetland in southern California. Daily tidal ranges in <br /><br />CSM were less than 50% of predicted values. Low tides levels were higher and <br /><br />varied less than predicted tides. Mean water level in CSM was higher than mean <br /><br />sea level. Ebb tide periods were extended by as much as several hours beyond <br /><br />predicted intervals, and flood tides were correspondingly shorter. Lowest tides in <br /><br />CSM frequently occurred at a time corresponding to predicted Higher Low Water.