Water Surface Level (m), 12/07/2023
Water Surface Level (m) contours shown are from the surface layer of the model and are based on daily forecast solutions generated by the NOS implementation of the SSCOFS. NOS runs 4 forecast cycles each day. The animation presented here was generated from the 2nd cycle (9-HR GMT) using solutions downloaded from the NOAA THREDDS developmental catalog.
The tides propagate into the Salish Sea from over the continental shelf via the Strait of Juan De Fuca. Incoming tides propagate past San Juan Islands north into Georgia Strait and South into Puget Sound. The animation provides insight into the distribution of tidal elevation and phase over the domain. The tidal amplitude increases with distance from the Salish Sea entrance at Neah Bay. Similarly, the length scales and propagation speeds are such that the tides at the entrance are out of phase with Southern end (South Puget Sound) and Northern end (entrance of Johnstone Strait in Georgia Basin). In other words, in general, high tide at Neah Bay implies low tide in South Puget Sound and Campbell River region in Canada.