Visitors to the beach were in for a pleasant surprise when they found a narrow stream running parallel to the coastline even as the sea receded about 100 metres on Monday.
The water body, which began as a narrow stretch, widened near the beach opposite the Yoga Village before narrowing down and joining the sea again near the YMCA beach. The rare phenomenon was also said to have been observed on Sunday evening also. Children had a gala time playing in the ‘safe’ water. Visitors were seen curiously asking fishermen about the possible reason for the receding of water and the formation of the ‘sand bar’.
All that the fishermen could say was that the coastline would be normal by night.
“These formations occur when the tidal ranges go to negative value. The mean sea level is taken as zero but when low tides are more it goes minus values. During lunar and solar eclipses tidal ranges (difference between high and low tides) record minus values,” said a scientist who preferred anonymity.
“The rock exposures at YMCA Beach, Light House, NTR statue and at Tenneti Park on the northern side act like groynes resulting in change of direction of sediment deposition,” he said.
“Sand bars do not form in a day or two, they form over several years. The present phenomenon could be due to low tides after ‘pournami’ which occurred a few days ago. This phenomenon, which is the result of beach dynamics, is a normal process in coastal areas,” Scientist-in-Charge of the National Institute of Oceanography V.S.N. Murthy told The Hindu.
“During low tides when water recedes sometimes you can walk up to four km into the beach. But the process is reversed during high tide and the waves hit the coast. There is no cause for alarm,” Dr. Murthy said.
Whatever be the reason, children have enough reason to cheer as they can play in the ‘backwater’.
