exploratorium

Exhibits

Tidal Flow

Which way is the water flowing?

Where:   This exhibit is not currently on view.
Exhibit Developers:   Jesse Marsh and Shawn Lani, 2013

Floating orange arrows turn a series of leftover pilings into a visual representation of water movement into and out of the Bay. As tides rise and fall, the arrows travel up and down the pilings, swiveling to point the direction of the water flow.

 
Subjects:
Phenomena: Fluid Mechanics, Motion Detection, Techniques to Make the Invisible Visible
Keywords: tides, water
Aliases: Flow Field, Flow Patterns

More to explore

Science activity that explores how water temperature and salinity are tied to the tidal cycle
Tidal Ties
Make predictions about water temperature and salinity using tidal data.
Science activity that explores tidal patterns
Tide-O-Matic
Explore the influence of the Sun and Moon on our tides.
Adults and children interacting with the Sediment Trapping exhibit, a flume flowing with Bay water and sediment.
Modeling Sediment in San Francisco Bay's Tidal Marshes

by Kevin Boyd • January 22, 2018

Exhibit investigates how sediments build up in a tidal marsh. 

Tidal Bulge

Make a paper model that helps explain the changing tides.

Related exhibits
Tidal Memory

Twenty-four columns record twenty-four hours of tide water levels.

Pier Piling Pivot

Raise a piling to see what grows.

Glass Settling Plate

Explore the variety of organisms that live on our piers in the Bay.

Research Buoy

This NOAA buoy gathers data on CO2 levels, which are increasing in our oceans and affecting marine life.