tidal range

hydrology

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July 14, 2026

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The tidal range refers to the difference in water level between high tide and low tide. This rise and fall of sea level is a predictable phenomenon caused by astronomical conditions. Tidal ranges vary significantly across different coastlines. Some coasts experience a small tidal range of less than 0.5 meters, while others, like the Bay of Fundy in Canada, can have a range exceeding 16 meters.1

Coasts can be classified based on their tidal range: micro-tidal (less than two meters), meso-tidal (two to four meters), and macro-tidal (more than four meters). Tides play a role in shaping coastal landforms by transporting sediment and influencing where wave energy impacts the shore.1

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lagoon
Barrier island lagoons
…coasts with moderate to low tidal ranges; for example, they occur widely on low coasts of the southern Baltic, the southeast North Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as on low coasts of the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico. Lagoon…
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…coasts with moderate to low tidal ranges; for example, they occur widely on low coasts of the southern Baltic, the southeast North Sea, the Black Sea, the Caspian Sea, and the Mediterranean Sea, as well as on low coasts of the southeastern United States and the Gulf of Mexico. Lagoon…
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tide
Ocean tides
In these seas the tidal range of sea level is only on the order of centimetres.
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In these seas the tidal range of sea level is only on the order of centimetres.
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