In coastal oceanography, the terms ebb and flood refer to tidal currents. These terms are particularly relevant for tidal inlet systems: estuaries, tidal rivers and lagoons. The ebb current corresponds to seaward flow and the flood current to landward flow.

Do rivers ebb?

In coastal oceanography, the terms ebb and flood refer to tidal currents. These terms are particularly relevant for tidal inlet systems: estuaries, tidal rivers and lagoons. The ebb current corresponds to seaward flow and the flood current to landward flow.

Why does ebb and flow occur?

In a Nutshell : Tides ebb and flow because the tidal pull of the moon stays in one place while the Earth spins round. Tides are caused by the gravitational attraction between the moon and the Earth. … Tides are also affected by the gravitational pull of the sun, and by the depth of the ocean and the shape of the land.