The horizontal motion of water resulting from the change in the tide is called what?

• A. Littoral current
• B. Tidal Current
• C. Ocean current
• D. Rip current

Answer: (B)

The movement is tidal current. It’s the horizontal flow of water produced as tides rise and fall. When the tide comes in, water flows toward the shore (flood tide); when the tide goes out, water flows away from the shore (ebb tide). In confined coastal areas such as inlets, bays, and harbors, these in-and-out motions create noticeable currents that can affect navigation and docking. This differs from a littoral current, which runs along the shore due to longshore transport from angled waves; an ocean current, which is a broad, wind- or density-driven flow over large scales; and a rip current, which is a strong, localized seaward flow through a gap in a sandbar and is not tied to the regular in-and-out tidal cycle.