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Notes - Tides

Tides are the rise and fall of ocean surfaces caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, with the moon having a stronger influence due to its proximity. Tidal ranges vary by location and are affected by different moon phases, resulting in spring and neap tides. Estuaries, where freshwater meets saltwater, rely on tidal circulation for maintaining oxygen levels and preventing salinity issues.

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Sophia Miller
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1 views

Notes - Tides

Tides are the rise and fall of ocean surfaces caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun, with the moon having a stronger influence due to its proximity. Tidal ranges vary by location and are affected by different moon phases, resulting in spring and neap tides. Estuaries, where freshwater meets saltwater, rely on tidal circulation for maintaining oxygen levels and preventing salinity issues.

Uploaded by

Sophia Miller
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Tides

Tides
Marine Science /
Earth Science Notes
Tides are the patterns of rise and fall of the ocean’s surface
○ Caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun
■ The Earth’s rotation around the sun and the
moon’s revolution determine tides
■ The moon’s pull is stronger – it’s closer
○ Tides are unrelated to ocean currents!

How does the How do


moon control
the tides? tides work?
video high tide video
low tide
low tide

high tide
• Tides occur in all coastal areas and large lakes
• Tidal range is the vertical difference in water level
between high and low tide
– varies by location
– ranges from 0 ft to 40+ ft

high tide line

tidal range
low tide line
Notebook Activity #1 Moon Phases of the Tides
1. Use the globe cutouts to create the diagrams of NEAP and SPRING tides that are shown on
the next two slides.
2. Use two different colors to illustrate the tidal bulge from both moon and sun on each of the
diagrams.
● Different moon phases cause different tides
○ Spring tide occurs during new and full moon
■ moon and sun are aligned with Earth - at one point
during the day, the pull is in opposite directions
■ largest tidal range of the month
● lowest low tides and highest high tides

full moon new moon

bulge from moon’s pull


bulge from sun’s pull
○ Neap tide occurs during 1st and 3rd quarter moons
■ moon and sun at a 90⁰ angle to one another
■ Earth feels pull in both directions
■ smallest tidal range of the month
3rd
quarter
moon moon’s pull
sun’s pull

1st
quarter
moon
• Tides create a daily circulation of water
in bays and estuaries
– The inflow of tide is called flood tide
– The outflow of tide is called ebb tide
draw this
– No tidal movement is called slack tide

slack
eb

eb
bt

b
ide
it de

tid
e
tid

e
→ o d

→
o
→ od

fl
flo

slack →

12 am 6 am 12 pm 6 pm 12 pm
What is an Estuary?
An estuary is a partially enclosed, coastal
water body where freshwater from rivers and
streams mixes with salt water from the
ocean.

Estuaries, and their surrounding lands, are


places of transition from land to sea.
Although influenced by the tides, they are
protected from the full force of ocean
waves, winds and storms by landforms
such as barrier islands or peninsulas

The sheltered waters of estuaries also support unique communities of


plants and animals specially adapted for life at the margin of the sea.
flood tide
ebb tide
• Without daily tidal circulation, some estuaries would become hypoxic
(low oxygen) or hypersaline (very salty) without a constant mixing
– The tides flow into estuaries through passes and inlets (bringing in
ocean water), then turn around a few hours later, flowing back out
Notebook Activity #2 Types of Tides
1. Use the blank tide table cutouts to copy the examples of the three types of tides on the
following two slides.
2. Label the high and low tides.
tide height

12 am 6 am 12 pm 6 pm 12 pm
• Tidal patterns vary with location
– Semidiurnal tides – 2 high and 2 low tides a day

high tide
high tide
tide height

low tide low tide

12 am 6 am 12 pm 6 pm 12 pm
tide height – Diurnal tides – one high and low each day

high tide
low tide

– Mixed tides – two unequal high and low


high tide
tide height

high tide
low tide
low tide

12 am 6 am 12 pm 6 pm 12 pm

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