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? ides are !ery long"period wa!es that mo!e
through the oceans in response to the forces exerted by the moon and the sun.
#. What is a high tide? What is a low tide? $igh tide is when the highest part or crest
of the wa!e reaches a particular location. %ow tide is when the lowest part of the
wa!e or trough reaches a particular location.
&. What is tidal range? idal range is the difference in height between high and low
tide
What Causes Tides?
'. ides are caused by the gra!itational attraction of what two celestial bodies? ides
are caused by the gra!itational attraction of the sun and the moon.
(. What does )ewton*s law of uni!ersal gra!itational state? )ewton*s law of uni!ersal
gra!ity states that the gra!itational attraction between two bodies is directly
proportional to the square distance between the bodies, therefor the greater the mass
of the ob+ects and the closer they are to each other, the greater the gra!itational
attraction between them.
,. Which celestial body has a greater effect on tidal forces on -arth? he moon has a
greater effect on the tides e!en though the sun has a greater mass, this is because the
sun is so far away from the earth and the moon is so much closer.
Gravity, Inertia, and the Two Bulges
.. $ow does the moon create a bulge? he moon creates a bulge because the moons
gra!itational force acts to draw the water closer to it.
1/. What causes a bulge to be created on the opposite side of the -arth or the 0far
side1 from the moon? A bulge on the opposite side of the moon is created because of
the moons gra!itational force and because inertias counterbalance.
Changing ngles and Changing Tides
11. 2escribe how changes in the relati!e positions of the moon and sun change in
relation to the -arth? As the moon re!ol!es around the -arth, its angle increases and
decreases in relation to the equator. he sun*s relati!e position to the equator changes
o!er the course of the year as the -arth rotates around it. hese are called declination
and the affect the tides.
1#. At what point is the sun at its minimum declination and its maximum declination?
2uring the !ernal and autumnal equinoxes the sun is at its minimum declination.
2uring the summer and winter solstices the sun is at its maximum declination
!requency o" Tides # The $unar %ay
13. 4ompare and contrast a solar and lunar day. $ow long is a lunar day? A solar day
is the time that it takes for a specific site on the -arth to rotate from an exact point
under the sun to the same point under the sun. A lunar day is the time it takes for a
specific site on the -arth to rotate from an exact point under the moon to the same
point under the moon. A lunar day is #5 hours and 3/ minutes.
1'. Why do most coastal areas experience two high tides and two low tides? 4oastal
areas experience two high tides and two low tides because the -arth rotates through
two tidal bulges e!ery lunar day.
1(. $ow long does it take for high tide to occur? $ow long is the time between low
and high tide? he high tides occur 1# hours and #3 minutes apart, and it takes '
hours and 1#.3 minutes for the water at the shore to go from high to low, oor from low
to high.
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? When the sun, moon, and earth are at alignment, the
solar tide has an additi!e effect on the lunar tide, creating extra high high tides and
extra low low tides called spring tides. )eap tides are caused by the sun and the moon
being at the right angles to each other which partially cancels out the lunar tide and
produces moderate tides called neap tides. here are two sets of spring tides and two
sets of neap tides e!ery lunar month.
1.. $ow are tide"generating forces affected when the moon is closest to the -arth 6or
perigee7? When the moon is farthest away from the -arth 6or apogee7? $ow does this
affect the tides that are produced? When the moon is closest tide generating forces are
stronger and when the moon is farther away tide generating forces are weaker. his
produces abo!e a!erage or below a!erage tides.
#/. $ow are tide"generating forces affected when the -arth is closest to the sun 6or
perihelion7? When the -arth is farthest from the sun 6or aphelion7? $ow does this
affect the tides that are produced? When the -arth is closer to the 8un tidal ranges are
enhances, and when the -arth is farther away from the sun tidal ranges are reduced.
he tides tidal ranges are enhanced or reduced at this time.
What ""ects Tides in ddition to the 'un and (oon?
#1. $ow are the magnitudes of tides affected by shorelines? By mid"ocean islands?
he magnitude of the tides can be strongly influenced by the shape of the shoreline.
9id"ocean islands not near continental margins experience !ery small tides.
##. $ow does a funnel"shaped bay compare to a narrow inlet and shallow water?
:unnel shaped bays dramatically alter tidal magnitude, where narrow inlets tend to
dissipate incoming tides.
#&. What is the affect of strong tidal ri!ers on tides in estuaries? 8trong tidal ri!ers
se!erely mask or alter incoming tides.
#5. What other abiotic factors affect tides? 4ompare and contrast wind and weather
patterns that affect tides. ;ffshore winds can mo!e water away from shorelines,
exaggerating low tide exposure. $igh pressure systems can depress sea le!els and low
pressure systems are associated with tides much higher than predicted.