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Suggested subcategory - Measurement Standards / Tidal Measurement Stations


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As an introduction, see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tide_gauge

 

As stated in the Wikipedia article, there are over 1700 examples of this type of object worldwide.

 

This would be a category for Tidal Measurement Stations such as listed on the US National Ocean Service's "Tides and Currents" website at...

 

http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/

 

though it would of course not be exclusive to the United States. There are also examples of this type of measurement station located on the Great Lakes. Also included would be the National Ocean Service (or similar agency) benchmarks that are used to define reference datums for tidal measurements. These are explicitly distinct from the subject of the "River Gauges" category, as they make much more complex measurements and are visually quite different and varied. There are historical examples of these stations that have existed for centuries, as will as the prolific modern ones. These modern stations make measurements of not just water levels, but also current, wind, salinity, air and water temperatures, air pressure, humidity, etc.

 

These are not my photos, though they are of ones in my immediate area that I am familiar with, of the 'modern US variety'.

 

This is what these stations typically look like when onshore... (This one is at Rockport, Texas) http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationphotos.html?id=8774770

This is an offshore station located at the entrance to Galveston Bay, and easily visible from the Port Bolivar ferry... http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationphotos.html?id=8771341

This one is located at the Freeport TX US Coast Guard station... http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/stationphotos.html?id=8772447

 

Other historical photos can be seen in the Wikipedia article.

 

While I'm unaware of any existing waymarks for these, it seems obvious that the category would not be useless, and I myself have about a half dozen (plus the benchmarks) that I'd like to submit.

 

The benchmarks associated with these stations are almost universally NOT listed in the National Geodetic Survey database, and are thus not on geocaching.com. While they would also be eligible for inclusion in the various national benchmark categories, I think that duplicate listing here would also be appropriate due to their direct association.

 

I've yet to create a group for this proposed category, as I'd like to get feedback first. Thanks for reading.

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Sounds interesting. Maybe it would be a good addition to the existing river gauges.

 

That was actually my first thought, but the river gauge category as currently written excludes them. Adding them there would require the managers to revamp that gategory.

 

They are also pretty distinct, as river gauges just measure height and flow, while modern tidal gauges are much more technically complex.

 

http://www.ggos-portal.org/lang_en/nn_316020/SharedDocs/Bilder/GGOS-Portal/Topics/Techniques/TideGauges/TideGauges2,property=poster.jpg

 

Example c in this image is in Alexandria, Egypt, and actually uses radar to measure the water level below the metal cylinder.

 

Tide gauges are used for many purposes other than just flood warnings (the purpose of a river gauge), most explicitly the determination of Mean Sea Level. Here's a map from the "Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level", showing the worldwide locations of tide guages that contribute to their dataset.

 

http://www.psmsl.org/data/obtaining/map.html

 

Quite a few are located on small islands in the middle of the ocean that don't even have rivers. :)

Edited by revent
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I like the idea. These structures definitively deserve a category where they can be placed. This can be a new dedicated category or a change and expansion of the existing River Gauges category.

 

I do not have any preference here, but I guess, creating a new category is easier.

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