THE TIDES IN COSTA RICA

The profile of the bottom and the form of the coasts affect the astronomical tides. The presence of the continents (as barriers in the propagation of the wave) produce a delay in the arrival of the wave of the tide to a determined point of the coast, as well as an increase in its height. In certain places only one high water and one low tide happen every day. In an amplitude she is very small, whereas in others the amplitude of the tide is enormous. So it is the case of the Bay of Fundy, to the Southeastern of Canada, where between the level of low tide and the one of high water there is an altitude difference until of 15 meters.

In Costa Rica two differentiated tidal regimes exist: the one of its Pacific coast, where the high water and the low tide happen twice to the day. and the one of its Caribbean coast, where the high water and low tide can twice be presented/displayed one or to the day. In the Pacific Coast the amplitude of the tide reaches about 3 meters, whereas in the Caribbean Coast, the amplitude as soon as it surpasses the 50 centimeters.


The regularity in the movement of the stars allows to anticipate or TO PREDICT with great exactitude the hour and the height of the tide in a certain port. This is obtained by means of an analysis of the observations of tide in that place.

The PREDICTION And ITS UTILITY:
In Costa Rica the PREDICTION of the tide carries out the Mareográfico Service of Costa Rica, of the National University.This information serves:
- To orient navigation,
- to orient the construction of harbor civil and coastal works and
- to support to the scientists who work in the intermareal zone * and in coastal waters (less than 200 miles).

* Intermareal Zone: Zone wet in high and dry tide in low tide, of much importance for the organisms that depend on the tides for their subsistence.