Tidal Constituents

vibes of this week: happy, folkdance, exciting

Ireland has some of the prettiest coastlines, and so I thought it would be fun to highlight one of them. Ireland is definitely on my bucket list to visit so this was a super fun week to do. The Wild Atlantic Way is considered the longest coastal touring route. This area also hosts the countries tallest mountain [1]. The traditional music played by the Irish came to the country with the Celts 2,000 years ago. The Celts were influenced by the music of the East, and it’s believed that the traditional Irish harp may have originated in Egypt [3]. The western coast of Ireland is dominated by rocky coasts, whereas the eastern coast has more soft sediment. Approximately, 25% of Ireland's coast is subject to erosion. This erosion seems to be affect sediment bays on the western and northern coasts, as well as most of the eastern coasts. Ireland is also expecting a increase in severity of coastal storms due to climate change and sea level rise. The specific effects of coastal erosion that the sediment-dominated areas of Ireland will be facing are: Cliff retreat, movement of dunes and barriers, and the lowering of sand levels on beaches with loss of fine sediment.

Most Common Tidal Constituents on the West Coast of Ireland [2]:

M2 (Principal Lunar Semidiurnal): The largest lunar constituent, representing roughly half of the semi-diurnal tidal range.

S2 (Principal Solar Semidiurnal): The largest solar constituent, often combined with M2 to dictate the fortnightly spring/neap cycle.

Cite:

[1] “10 things you didn’t know about the Wild Atlantic Way,” Wild Atlantic Way, Discover Ireland. [Online]. Available: https://www.discoverireland.ie/wild-atlantic-way/f.... [Accessed: Mar. 9, 2026].

[2] L. Ren, G. Pan, L. Yang, Y. Wang, G. Zheng, P. Yao, Q. Zhu, Z. Zhu, and M. Hartnett, “Assessment of Ocean Circulation Characteristics off the West Coast of Ireland Using HF Radar,” Remote Sensing, vol. 15, no. 22, p. 5395, Nov. 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/15/22/5395

[3] F. Mulraney, “The history and origins of traditional Irish music,” IrishCentral, Jan. 17, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.irishcentral.com/roots/history/irish-t.... [Accessed: Mar. 9, 2026].

[4] Environmental Protection Agency, “Coastal erosion,” Climate Ireland. [Online]. Available: https://www.climateireland.ie/impact-on-ireland/cl.... [Accessed: Mar. 9, 2026].