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What is mean high water the average height of?

Published in Tidal Measurements 1 min read

Mean high water is the average height of the high tides over a 19-year period.

According to the reference provided, mean high water is determined by averaging high tide heights. However, the duration of the observation period matters.

  • Long-term Measurement: Ideally, the average is calculated using high tide data collected over a complete 19-year period. This extensive timeframe helps account for cyclical variations in tides.
  • Short-term Measurement: If data is collected for a period shorter than 19 years, corrections are applied. These adjustments eliminate known variations, effectively scaling the short-term data to be equivalent to a 19-year mean high water value.