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Why doesn't the Med have a tide?

Question

On holiday, my 10-year-old asked me: Why is there no visible tide on the Mediterranean?
Tracy, Islington

Answer

Name: Gary, Ilford
Qualification: Used to work for Thames water
Answer: There is a tide, it’s just too small to notice. It has a standard 12-hour tidal pattern, but you can’t get enough water through the Straits of Gibraltar to fill the Med up when it’s at high tide to get the usual four-metre tide rise.

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