Tides

I. What are Tides?

II. Causes of Tides
III. Tidal Variations
IV. Lunar Day and Frequency of Tides
V. Monitoring Tides

Wikimedia FoxyOrange [CC BY-SA 3.0

Tides are not explicitly included in the NGSS Performance
Expectations.

From the NGSS Framework (M.S. Space Science):

“There is a strong emphasis on a systems approach, using models of the solar system to
explain astronomical and other observations of the cyclic patterns of eclipses, tides,
and seasons.”

From the NGSS Crosscutting Concepts:

Observed patterns in nature guide organization and classification and prompt
questions about relationships and causes underlying them.
For Elementary School:
• Similarities and differences in patterns can be used to sort, classify, communicate
and analyze simple rates of change for natural phenomena and designed products.
• Patterns of change can be used to make predictions
• Patterns can be used as evidence to support an explanation.
For Middle School:
• Graphs, charts, and images can be used to identify patterns in data.
• Patterns can be used to identify cause-and-effect relationships.

The topic of tides have an important connection to global change since spring tides and
king tides are causing coastal flooding as sea level has been rising.
I. What are Tides?
Tides are one of the most reliable phenomena on
Earth - they occur on a regular and predictable
cycle. Along with death and taxes, tides are a
certainty of life.

Tides are apparent

changes in local sea
level that are the result
of long-period waves
that move through the
oceans.
Photos of low and high
tide on the coast of the
Bay of Fundy in Canada.
Samuel Wantman / Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Commons
When the highest part of the tide (crest) reaches the coast, high tide
occurs.
Low tide occurs when the lowest part of the wave, or its trough
reaches the coast.

The difference in height between the high tide and the low tide is
called the tidal range.
A tidal current is the horizontal movement of water that accompanies
the rising and falling of the tide.
The incoming tide along the coast and into the bays and estuaries is
called a flood current.
The outgoing tidal current is called an ebb current.

Tidal currents are particularly important in

regions like the S.F. Bay.
II. Causes of Tides
Two bulges of water occur on opposite sides of the Earth due to the
gravitational influence of the Moon - one that roughly faces the Moon
and another on the opposite side of the Earth.
Since the Moon orbits the Earth
A’
slower than the Earth rotates
A
on its axis, the Earth rotates in
and out of the tidal bulges.
Most coastlines experience two
NOT TO SCALE!
high tides and two low tides
about each day.

High tides are commonly unequal in height due to the axial angle of
the Earth’s rotation. For example, the location on the Earth at A has a
fairly large high tide. But when this position has rotated in 12 hours to
the other side at A’, note that the high tide is not as high.
The most common
model for why the
Earth has two tidal
bulges is because
gravity and inertia are
opposing forces acting
on the Earth’s oceans, NOT TO SCALE! NOAA

creating tidal bulges on

opposite sites of the
planet.
On the side of the
Earth facing the Moon, Moon
the gravitational C B A
interaction of the
Moon results in a
bulge (A). NOT TO SCALE!

On the opposite side of the Earth, inertial forces dominate, creating a

second bulge. One simple way of thinking about it is that the Earth (B)
is pulled away from the water on that far side because the gravitational
force exerted by the Moon at point B is larger than that exerted at point
C.
In this model, gravity and inertia create two bulges of water. One forms
where the Earth and moon are closest together, and the other forms
where they are furthest apart.
This is greatly oversimplified but may serve as a good mental model for
tidal bulges.
The previous model for the formation
of two tidal bulges is not technically
correct.
It is an oversimplification to state that
the tidal bulges are due to the simple
gravitational attraction of the Moon.
However, an accurate gravitation Wikimedia User Krishnavedala CC BY-SA 3.0

model to describe the tide-generating

force is beyond the scope of most K-12
classrooms.
Lunar gravity creates a differential field on the Earth’s surface known
as the tide-generating force (as indicated by the vectors in the figure).
The major difference between the two models for the formation of
the two tidal bulges is whether the tidal bulges are pulled by simple
gravitational attraction (least accurate) or squeezed by the differential
gravitational field (more accurate).
Tidal forces are based on
the gravitational
interaction between two
or more bodies.
With tidal forces, the
distance between two
objects usually is more
critical than their masses.
Thus, the Moon, being
closer has a much
stronger effect on tides
on the Earth than does
the Sun.

NOAA

The “back-of-the-envelope” calculations show that the tide-generating

force of the Moon is more than twice that of the Sun.
III. Tidal Variations
The variation of tides and tidal ranges is due to a variety of factors
including:
1. Alignment of the Moon and Sun
2. Declination of Moon
3. Eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit
4. Eccentricity of Moon’s orbit
5. Regional factors such as the shape of the coastline
1. Alignment of the Moon and Sun
Remember that both the Sun and
the Moon affect tides on Earth.
When the Earth, Sun and Moon
are aligned, the affect of the Sun
and the Moon are additive and the
tides are at their highest and
lowest - these are known as spring
tides.
Spring tides occur during full and
new moons.

Not to scale. NOAA

When the Sun and Moon are at
right angles to one another - the
contribution from the Sun partially
cancels out the effect of the Moon
and results in lower high tides and
higher low tides - know as neap
tides.
Neap tides occur during the first
and third quarters of the Moon.

Not to scale.
NOAA
2. Declination of Moon
The Moon’s declination
(angle of the Moon’s orbit
with respect to the Earth’s
equator) varies over a 18.6
year cycle from a maximum
of ~28° to a minimum of
~18°.
The animation shows the Not to scale.
NOAA

change in the angle of the

Moon’s orbital plane.
The Earth’s tidal bulges track
the position of the Moon
and have a effect on the
height of tides.

Naval Postgraduate School

3. Eccentricity of the Earth’s orbit
The orbit of the Earth around the
Sun is slightly eccentric.
Perihelion is the Earth’s closest
approach to the Sun and is 147.1
million km.
Aphelion is the Earth’s farthest
distance from the Sun and is 152.1
million km.
The difference between perihelion
Wikimedia User Chris55 and aphelion is ~5 million km.
Not to scale and orbital eccentricity is exaggerated.

Since the tidal influence of the Sun is a function of the distance, the
small change the distance between the Earth and Sun results in a small
change in the solar tidal component (height of tide).
4. Eccentricity of Moon’s orbit The orbit of the Moon around
the Earth is slightly eccentric.
Perigee is the Moon’s closest
approach to the Earth and is
363,396 km.
Apogee is the Moon’s farthest
distance from the Earth and is
NASA
405,504 km.
Not to scale and orbital eccentricity is exaggerated.
The difference between perigee
and apogee is ~42,000 km.

Since the tidal influence of the Moon is

largely a function of the distance, the tide
generating influence of the Moon increases
during perigee.
When the Moon is at perigee, it appears
~14% larger when viewed from Earth and is
commonly known as a super moon.
NASA
The effect of the eccentric
orbits of the Earth and Moon
have a very small influence on
tides. At most, the effect may
be only a few inches.
Although this effect may be
small, it can be additive with
other factors that affect tides.
NOAA

Not to scale and orbital eccentricities are exaggerated.

The term “king tide” is not a scientific term; it is commonly used to

describe extra large high tides.
Since the tidal range is driven by the
relative positions of the Earth, Moon,
and Sun and their elliptical orbits, king
tides occur when the Earth, Moon and
Sun are aligned at perigee and
perihelion.
KGO TV
5. Regional factors
We find that the tidal range
may vary considerable along
different coastlines.
Underwater bathymetry
(shape of seafloor) and the
shape of the coastline can
dramatically affect the local
tidal range. NASA/TOPEX

As the Earth rotates within This image shows a model of the sea surface
the tidal bulges, the height amplitude in meters due to a tides.
continents disrupt the
migration of the bulge in the
oceans.
IV. Lunar Day and Frequency of Tides
Most coastal areas experience two high
tides and two low tides in a cycle that
takes 24 hours and 50 minutes - a lunar
day.
A lunar day is the amount of time takes
for a specific point on the Earth to
rotate from an exact point under the
Moon to the same point under the
Moon - 24 hours for the rotation of the
Earth and an additional 50 minutes
because the Moon has moved in its
orbit around the Earth.
Because the Earth rotates through two
tidal “bulges” every lunar day, coastal
areas experience two high and two low
tides every 24 hours and 50 minutes. Naval Postgraduate School
An area has a diurnal tidal cycle if it
experiences one high and one low tide
every lunar day.

An area has a semidiurnal tidal cycle if it

experiences two high and two low tides
of approximately equal size every lunar
day.
An area has a mixed semidiurnal tidal
cycle if it experiences two high and two
low tides of different size every lunar
day.
NOAA
If the Earth had no
continents and was
uniformly covered by
ocean, the entire
planet would
experience two
equally proportioned
high and low tides

NOAA
every lunar day.
On Earth, the continents block the migration of the tidal bulges as the
Earth rotates.
The interference of the continents result in complex tidal patterns in
different regions depending upon the shape of the coastline and
seafloor bathymetry (shape of the seafloor).
V. Monitoring Tides
Predicting tides has always been
important for shipping, marine
industries and commercial fishing.
For example, navigating ships
through shallow water ports
requires knowledge of the time and
height of the tides as well as the
speed and direction of the tidal
currents.
In 2002, four large industrial cranes
were shipped to Oakland from
China. The ship carrying the cranes
needed to go under the Bay Bridge
and cleared the bottom of the
bridge by only 6 feet during low NOAA

tide.
A tide gauge is a device for
measuring the change in sea
level relative to a baseline
such as mean sea level.
Sensors continuously record
the height of the water level.
Water enters the bottom of a
pipe and sensors measure its
height inside.
In recent years, tide gauges
are automated with electronic
sensors and real-time tide
data are available online.
Data are available from more
than 1,750 tide gauges
worldwide. Some tide gauges
have been in continuous
operation for centuries. The
map shows the distribution of
tide gauges for the Global Sea
Level Observing System NOAA

(GLOSS) network.

The tide gauge at Crissy Field has

been in continuous operation since
1845.
 NOAA

Tide gauges have been an important source of data for documenting

the increase in mean sea level due to climate change. The data show
monthly mean water levels from the San Francisco Crissy Field tide
gauge that has been operating since 1854.
Global sea level rise ~2.0 mm/year.