Tidal planes
The height of the mean tidal planes and the average tide time differences are detailed in the tables, semidiurnal tidal planes and diurnal tidal planes which can be downloaded below.
The form of the tide changes as you progress north along the Queensland coast. For places south from Lindeman Island refer to the section semidiurnal tidal planes. For places in the Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria refer to the diurnal tidal planes section. When seeking information for places between Lindeman and Torres Strait where the classification may be either semidiurnal or diurnal it is necessary to refer to both the semidiurnal and diurnal tables.
Revision of Queensland tidal planes
In July 2009, the tidal planes for the standard and secondary ports in Queensland were revised for inclusion in Queensland Tide Tables 2010.
The new tidal planes are based on the current tidal datum epoch of 1992 to 2011 which will bring Queensland into line with other Australian tidal authorities. This tidal datum epoch will be used as the basis for calculating tidal datum and the associated tidal planes until 2018 when the national tidal datum epoch is subject for review.
Semidiurnal tidal planes
The term semidiurnal refers to a tide which has a period or cycle of approximately half of one tidal day (about 12.5 hours). Semidiurnal tides usually have two high and two low tides each day. The tides at Brisbane Bar are a typical example of semidiurnal tides.
The tides south from Lindeman Island (latitude 20 degrees 28 minutes south) are classified as semidiurnal.
A guide to semidiurnal tidal planes.
Diurnal tidal planes
The term diurnal refers to a tide which has a period or cycle of approximately one tidal day (about 25 hours). Diurnal tides usually have one high and one low tide each day. The tides at Karumba are a typical example of diurnal tides.
The tides of Torres Strait and the Gulf of Carpentaria are classified as diurnal.
A guide to diurnal tidal planes.
