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.

What is ebb and flow in a river?

Ebb and flow (also called ebb flood and flood drain) are two phases of the tide or any similar movement of water. The ebb is the outgoing phase, when the tide drains away from the shore, and the flow is the incoming phase when water rises again. The terms are also common in figurative use.

Do waves ebb and flow?

Waves transmit energy, not water, and are commonly caused by the wind as it blows across the ocean, lakes, and rivers. Waves caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun are called tides. The ebb and flow of waves and tides are the life force of our world ocean.