King tides expected to have more impact as sea levels rise

“Tides are real tricky,” said Lambertson, a staff teacher at the Exploratorium science museum. She was explaining the phenomenon known as king tides, when the oceans’ water levels reach higher than at any other time of the year and offer a taste of how sea level rise might alter our shoreline. There was only one problem, so to speak: The tides weren’t putting on much of a show.