tidal marsh
322
may grow laterally as well as vertically, but vertical accretion seems to dominate. In many areas lateral accretion is limited by tidal channels and coastal
erosion. Since environmental conditions on tidal flats are of a very specific
nature, with alternatingly wet and dry periods, strong currents, temperature
fluctuations, etc., they are inhabited by a typical fauna of intertidal animals.
Most of these live buried in the sediment, or in protective attached shells.
Diversity in tidal flat ecosystems is low, but biomass and production can be
very high, due to the input of organic matter from the sea. This in turn
attracts carnivores, which exhibit special adaptations to life in tidal areas, such
as e.g., tidal activity and feeding cycles, and tidal migrations.
tidal marsh -7salt marsh.
tidal pool (syn. rock pool) hole or crevice in the intertidal zone of rocky
seashores, where during low tide seawater is left behind. Such pools have a
balanced population of plants and animals, and can be seen as a microcosm of
the sea. Due to evaporation and rainfall, rock pools show higher variations
in temperature, salinity, and pH than the sea; the highest pools undergo the
largest fluctuations and consequently have the lowest number of species. As
"natural aquaria" rock pools offer an easy opportunity to study intertidal
organisms in situ.
tidal prism the amount of water in a small, semi-enclosed area between the high
and the low water level. Assuming that high and low water occurs everywhere
at the same time, it is equivalent to the in- and out-flowing tidal water mass.
tidal range -7co-range lines.
tidal wave often the term "tidal wave" is used without direct connection with the
tides, for destructive wave phenomena such as storm surges or tsunamis.
However, in tidal theory the tidal wave is the result of the dynamic response
of the sea to the periodically varying tidal potential. A tidal wave thus has
the character of a long wave in the ocean. In the deep open ocean its effect is
usually small, but in more enclosed and shallow regions the response to the
open-ocean tides may result in more or less complete resonance, giving
strong tidal variations. For certain regions the tidal wave can be described
as a Kelvin wave, a Sverdrup wave or a Poincare wave.
tidal zone (or litteral zone) -7zonation.
tide periodic variation of sea level and associated periodic currents caused by
the gravitational attraction between moon and earth (Iunartide) and sun and
earth (solar tide) . In such a system of two celestial bodies rotating around a
common center, a field of gravitational and centrifugal forces is acting that
322
may grow laterally as well as vertically, but vertical accretion seems to dominate. In many areas lateral accretion is limited by tidal channels and coastal
erosion. Since environmental conditions on tidal flats are of a very specific
nature, with alternatingly wet and dry periods, strong currents, temperature
fluctuations, etc., they are inhabited by a typical fauna of intertidal animals.
Most of these live buried in the sediment, or in protective attached shells.
Diversity in tidal flat ecosystems is low, but biomass and production can be
very high, due to the input of organic matter from the sea. This in turn
attracts carnivores, which exhibit special adaptations to life in tidal areas, such
as e.g., tidal activity and feeding cycles, and tidal migrations.
tidal marsh -7salt marsh.
tidal pool (syn. rock pool) hole or crevice in the intertidal zone of rocky
seashores, where during low tide seawater is left behind. Such pools have a
balanced population of plants and animals, and can be seen as a microcosm of
the sea. Due to evaporation and rainfall, rock pools show higher variations
in temperature, salinity, and pH than the sea; the highest pools undergo the
largest fluctuations and consequently have the lowest number of species. As
"natural aquaria" rock pools offer an easy opportunity to study intertidal
organisms in situ.
tidal prism the amount of water in a small, semi-enclosed area between the high
and the low water level. Assuming that high and low water occurs everywhere
at the same time, it is equivalent to the in- and out-flowing tidal water mass.
tidal range -7co-range lines.
tidal wave often the term "tidal wave" is used without direct connection with the
tides, for destructive wave phenomena such as storm surges or tsunamis.
However, in tidal theory the tidal wave is the result of the dynamic response
of the sea to the periodically varying tidal potential. A tidal wave thus has
the character of a long wave in the ocean. In the deep open ocean its effect is
usually small, but in more enclosed and shallow regions the response to the
open-ocean tides may result in more or less complete resonance, giving
strong tidal variations. For certain regions the tidal wave can be described
as a Kelvin wave, a Sverdrup wave or a Poincare wave.
tidal zone (or litteral zone) -7zonation.
tide periodic variation of sea level and associated periodic currents caused by
the gravitational attraction between moon and earth (Iunartide) and sun and
earth (solar tide) . In such a system of two celestial bodies rotating around a
common center, a field of gravitational and centrifugal forces is acting that