this post was submitted on 30 Aug 2025
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xkcd #3135: Sea Level

Title text:

They're up there with coral islands, lightning, and caterpillars turning into butterflies.

Transcript:

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Source: https://xkcd.com/3135/

explainxkcd for #3135

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[–] infinitesunrise@slrpnk.net 56 points 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (2 children)

Huh. TIL that there are three common types of tidal cycles and which one you get depends on geography, location, ocean currents. https://beltoforion.de/en/tides/tidal_cycles.php

And yeah, dinural is apparently the most rare of the three. Wild.

[–] Successful_Try543@feddit.org 8 points 5 days ago (1 children)

Thanks. I didn't know either that there are places, where the sea level does not rise and fall twice a day.

[–] MarieMarion@literature.cafe 2 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I was reading Circe, by Madeline Miller, and on several pages some ancient Greeks wait for the tide to sail away, or watch the sea rising while waiting for Odysseus, and so on. Like, woman, did nobody notice at your publishing house?

[–] Wiz@midwest.social 4 points 4 days ago