for the mean tide range of 156 cm (5.2 ft) in Charleston and given as a cumulative probability 

 distribution. These graphs are applicable to much of the southeastern U.S. coast by substituting 

 different tide ranges. Each graph provides a measure of the duration of time over the year that 

 various wetland elevations are underwater. 



In the case of Salicomia virginica (+3.16 ft for Charleston), the cumulative frequency of 

 flooding is approximately 4 percent (Figure 2-7B and Appendix 2-A). If one wanted to apply 



FIGURE 2-7 



TIDE PROBABILITY CURVES 



CHARLESTON TIDES 



MHWS 

 MHW 



-gMSl 



■ ULW 

 -ULWS 



0.00 1.00 2.00 3.00 4.00 



PROBABILITY (%) 



B 



NORMALIZED TIDE RANGE VS. 

 WETLANDS SPECIES 



■ Sp patent (transition) 



(high marsh) 



Sd a Her rut lor a (low marsh) 

 DRY 

 (upper) 



QflmatttM KJL (oysters) 



i 



0.00 20.00 40.00 SO. 00 SO. 00 100.00 



CUMULATIVE PROBABILITY (%) 



Tide-probability curves based on statistics for Charleston given in Ebersole (1982). 



(A) Probability distribution for the range of astronomic tides. 



(B) ''Normalized" cumulative probability distribution, indicating the preferential elevation for 

 various wetland species. 



Abbreviations: MHWS (mean high water spring); MHW (mean high water); MSL (mean sea 

 level); ML W (mean low water); ML WS (mean low water spring). 



52 



