Tides Webquest

Part I: Background on Tides

Begin your information search by using your textbook and accessing
http://www.nos.noaa.gov/education/tides/welcome.html
As you read through the tutorial, answer the questions below that correspond to each
section of the tutorial.
What are Tides?
1. What is a basic definition of a tide?
Tides are very long-period waves that move through the oceans in response to
the forces exerted by the moon and sun.
. What is a high tide? What is a low tide?
When the highest part, or crest of the wave reaches a particular location, high
tide occurs. low tide corresponds to the lowest part of the wave, or its trough.
!. What is tidal range?
"he difference between high and low tide
What Causes Tides?
#. "ides are caused by the gra$itational attraction of what two celestial bodies?
the sun and moon.
%. What does &ewton's law of uni$ersal gra$itational state?
states that the gravitational attraction between two bodies is directly proportional
to their masses, and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between
the bodies.
(. Which celestial body has a greater effect on tidal forces on )arth?
"he *un.
Gravity, Inertia, and the Two Bulges
+. ,ow does the moon create a bulge?
the gravitational force exceeds it and the water is pulled toward the moon,
causing a bulge of water on the near side toward the moon.
Changing ngles and Changing Tides
11. -escribe how changes in the relati$e positions of the moon and sun change in
relation to the )arth?
s the moon revolves around the !arth, its angle increases and decreases in
relation to the equator. This is "nown as its declination
1. At what point is the sun at its minimum declination and its maximum declination?
#uring the vernal and autumnal equinoxes$%arch &' and (eptember &),
respectively$the sun is at its minimum declination because it is positioned
directly above the equator. *n +une &' and #ecember &&$the summer and
winter solstices, respectively$the sun is at its maximum declination, i.e., its
largest angle to the equator
!requency o" Tides # The $unar %ay
1.. /ompare and contrast a solar and lunar day. ,ow long is a lunar day?
lmost everyone is familiar with the concept of a &,-hour solar day, which is the
time that it ta"es for a specific site on the !arth to rotate from an exact point
under the sun to the same point under the sun. (imilarly, a lunar day is the time
it ta"es for a specific site on the !arth to rotate from an exact point under the
moon to the same point under the moon. -nli"e a solar day, however, a lunar day
is &, hours and ./ minutes. The lunar day is ./ minutes longer than a solar day
because the moon revolves around the !arth in the same direction that the !arth
rotates around its axis. (o, it ta"es the !arth an extra ./ minutes to catch up to
the moon
1#. Why do most coastal areas experience two high tides and two low tides?
0ecause the !arth rotates through two tidal bulges every lunar day, coastal
areas experience two high and two low tides every &, hours and ./ minutes.
1igh tides occur '& hours and &. minutes apart. 2t ta"es six hours and '&..
minutes for the water at the shore to go from high to low, or from low to high.
1%. ,ow long does it take for high tide to occur? ,ow long is the time between low
and high tide?
10 days
Tidal &ariations # The In"luence o" Position and %istance
1(. What causes spring tides? What causes neap tides? ,ow many spring and neap
tides occur in a lunar month? the solar tide has an additive effect on the lunar tide,
creating extra-high high tides, and very low, low tides$both commonly called
spring tides. *ne wee" later, when the sun and moon are at right angles to each
other, the solar tide partially cancels out the lunar tide and produces moderate
tides "nown as neap tides #uring each lunar month, two sets of spring tides and
two sets of neap tides occur
1+. ,ow are tide1generating forces affected when the moon is closest to the )arth 2or
perigee3? when the moon is farthest away from the )arth 2or apogee3? ,ow does this
affect the tides that are produced? tide-generating forces are higher than usual,
producing above-average ranges in the tides. bout two wee"s later
4. ,ow are tide1generating forces affected when the )arth is closest to the sun 2or
perihelion3? when the )arth is farthest from the sun 2or aphelion3? ,ow does this
affect the tides that are produced? When the !arth is closest to the sun 3perihelion4,
which occurs about +anuary & of each calendar year, the tidal ranges are
enhanced. When the !arth is furthest from the sun 3aphelion4, around +uly &, the
tidal ranges are reduced
What ""ects Tides in ddition to the 'un and (oon?
1. ,ow are the magnitudes of tides affected by shorelines? By mid1ocean islands?
When oceanic tidal bulges hit wide continental margins, the height of the tides
can be magnified. mid-oceanic islands not near continental margins typically
experience very small tides of ' meter or less
. ,ow does a funnel1shaped bay compare to a narrow inlet and shallow water?
5unnel-shaped bays in particular can dramatically alter tidal magnitude
!. What is the affect of strong tidal ri$ers on tides in estuaries?
6owerful seasonal river flows in the spring can severely alter or mas" the
incoming tide.
0. What other abiotic factors affect tides? /ompare and contrast wind and weather
patterns that affect tides. 7ocal wind and weather patterns also can affect tides.
(trong offshore winds can move water away from coastlines, exaggerating low
tide exposures. *nshore winds may act to pile up water onto the shoreline,
virtually eliminating low tide exposures. 1igh 8 pressure systems can depress sea
levels, leading to clear sunny days with exceptionally low tides. 9onversely, low-
pressure systems that contribute to cloudy, rainy conditions typically are
associated with tides than are much higher than predicted.