The ocean takes center stage during the king tides, predicted to arrive on the California coast this Wednesday through Friday, and then again Dec. 4-6 and Jan. 1-3. Waters climb to their highest point of the year, flooding some Bay Area beaches, stairways and streets before plunging to their lowest, exposing stretches of sand and reef usually hidden. The spectacle draws photographers, beachgoers and scientists alike, because beyond the beauty, king tides reveal how the coast is changing.

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Tides are familiar to anyone who spends time by the sea. Simply put, “Tides are bulges of water that the Earth rotates under,” says Serena B. Lee, a physical oceanographer at California Polytechnic State University. King tides are the extreme version, occurring only a few times a year wh

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