MoonTides

HowTheMoonAffectsOceanTides... Theword"tides"isagenerictermusedtodefinethealternatingriseandfallinsealevelwithrespecttotheland,producedbythegravitational attractionofthemoonandthesun.Toamuchsmallerextent,tidesalsooccurinlargelakes,theatmosphere,andwithinthesolidcrustoftheearth, acteduponbythesesamegravitationalforcesofthemoonandsun. WhatareLunarTides TidesarecreatedbecausetheEarthandthemoonareattractedtoeachother,justlikemagnetsareattractedtoeachother.Themoontriestopull atanythingontheEarthtobringitcloser.But,theEarthisabletoholdontoeverythingexceptthewater.Sincethewaterisalwaysmoving,theEarth cannotholdontoit,andthemoonisabletopullatit.Eachday,therearetwohightidesandtwolowtides.Theoceanisconstantlymovingfromhigh tidetolowtide,andthenbacktohightide.Thereisabout12hoursand25minutesbetweenthetwohightides. Tidesaretheperiodicriseandfallingoflargebodiesofwater.Windsandcurrentsmovethesurfacewater causingwaves.Thegravitationalattractionofthemooncausestheoceanstobulgeoutinthedirectionofthe moon.Anotherbulgeoccursontheoppositeside,sincetheEarthisalsobeingpulledtowardthemoon(and awayfromthewateronthefarside).Oceanlevelsfluctuatedailyasthesun,moonandearthinteract.Asthe moontravelsaroundtheearthandasthey,together,travelaroundthesun,thecombinedgravitationalforces causetheworld'soceanstoriseandfall.Sincetheearthisrotatingwhilethisishappening,twotidesoccur eachday. WhatarethedifferenttypesofTides Whenthesunandmoonarealigned,thereareexceptionallystronggravitationalforces,causingveryhighandverylowtideswhicharecalledspring tides,thoughtheyhavenothingtodowiththeseason.Whenthesunandmoonarenotaligned,thegravitationalforcescanceleachotherout,and thetidesarenotasdramaticallyhighandlow.Thesearecalledneaptides.

SpringTides Whenthemoonisfullornew,thegravitationalpullofthemoonandsunare combined.Atthesetimes,thehightidesareveryhighandthelowtidesare verylow.Thisisknownasaspringhightide.Springtidesareespeciallystrong tides(theydonothaveanythingtodowiththeseasonSpring).Theyoccur whentheEarth,theSun,andtheMoonareinaline.Thegravitationalforcesof theMoonandtheSunbothcontributetothetides.Springtidesoccurduring thefullmoonandthenewmoon. NeapTides Duringthemoon'squarterphasesthesunandmoonworkatrightangles, causingthebulgestocanceleachother.Theresultisasmallerdifference betweenhighandlowtidesandisknownasaneaptide.Neaptidesare especiallyweaktides.TheyoccurwhenthegravitationalforcesoftheMoon andtheSunareperpendiculartooneanother(withrespecttotheEarth).Neap tidesoccurduringquartermoons. TheProxigeanSpringTideisarare,unusuallyhightide.ThisveryhightideoccurswhenthemoonisbothunusuallyclosetotheEarth(atits closestperigee,calledtheproxigee)andintheNewMoonphase(whentheMoonisbetweentheSunandtheEarth).Theproxigeanspringtide occursatmostonceevery1.5years.

HighTide/LowTideExamples
AviewofthetidesatHallsHarbouronNovaScotia'sBayofFundy.Thisisatimelapseofthetidalriseandfalloveraperiod ofsixandahalfhours.Duringthenextsixhoursofebbthefishermenunloadtheirboatsonthedock.That'sahightideevery 12and1/2hours!Therearetwohightidesevery25hours.

AFewFactsAboutLunarTides
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Thegravitationalforceofthemoonisoneten millionththatofearth,butwhenyoucombineotherforcessuchastheearth's centrifugalforcecreatedbyitsspin,yougettides. Thesun'sgravitationalforceontheearthisonly46percentthatofthemoon.Makingthemoonthesinglemostimportantfactorfor thecreationoftides. Thesun'sgravityalsoproducestides.Butsincetheforcesaresmaller,ascomparedtothemoon,theeffectsaregreatly decreased. Tidesarenotcausedbythedirectpullofthemoon'sgravity.Themoonispullingupwardsonthewaterwhiletheearthispulling downward.Slightadvantagetothemoonandthuswehavetides. WhenevertheMoon,EarthandSunarealigned,thegravitationalpullofthesunaddstothatofthemooncausingmaximumtides. Springtideshappenwhenthesunandmoonareonthesamesideoftheearth(NewMoon)orwhenthesunandmoonareon oppositesidesoftheearth(FullMoon).

Tidesarenotcausedbythedirectpullofthemoon'sgravity.Themoonispullingupwardsonthewaterwhiletheearthispulling downward.Slightadvantagetothemoonandthuswehavetides. WhenevertheMoon,EarthandSunarealigned,thegravitationalpullofthesunaddstothatofthemooncausingmaximumtides. Springtideshappenwhenthesunandmoonareonthesamesideoftheearth(NewMoon)orwhenthesunandmoonareon oppositesidesoftheearth(FullMoon). WhentheMoonisatfirstquarterorlastquarterphase(meaningthatitislocatedatrightanglestotheEarth Sunline),theSun andMooninterferewitheachotherinproducingtidalbulgesandtidesaregenerallyweakerthesearecalledneaptides. Springtidesandneaptidelevelsareabout20%higherorlowerthanaverage. Offshore,inthedeepocean,thedifferenceintidesisusuallylessthan1.6feet Thesurfgrowswhenitapproachesabeach,andthetideincreases.Inbaysandestuaries,thiseffectisamplified.(IntheBayof Fundy,tideshavearangeof44.6ft.) ThehighesttidesintheworldareattheBayofFundyinNovaScotia,Canada. Becausetheearthrotatesonitsaxisthemooncompletesoneorbitinourskyevery25hours(Nottobeconfusedwithmoon's27 dayorbitaroundtheearth),wegettwotidalpeaksaswellastwotidaltroughs.Theseeventsareseparatedbyabout12hours. SincethemoonmovesaroundtheEarth,itisnotalwaysinthesameplaceatthesametimeeachday.So,eachday,thetimesfor highandlowtideschangeby50minutes. Thetypeofgravitationalforcethatcausestidesisknowas"Tractive"force.

FAQsAboutLunarTidesFrom"TheAstronomyCafe"
Whyaretherenooceantidesattheequator? "Tidesareaverycomplexphenomenon.Foranyparticularlocation,theirheightandfluctuationintimedependstovaryingdegreesonthelocation oftheSunandtheMoon,andtothedetailsoftheshapeofthebeach,coastline,coastlinedepthandprevailingoceancurrents.Thetidalbulgeof theMoonfollowsalongthepathontheearth'ssurfacewhichintersectswiththeorbitalplaneoftheMoon.Thisplaneistiltedabout23degreeswith respecttotheequatorialplaneoftheearth.Theresultisthatneartheequator,thedifferencebetweenhightideandlowtideisactuallyrathersmall, comparedtootherlatitudes.Toseethis,drawacircleinscribedinanellipse,withthemajoraxisoftheellipserotatedby23degreeswithrespectto thecircle'shorizontaldiameter.Nowmeasuretheheightoftheellipticalcontourjustabovethe'equator'ofthecircle.Youwillseethatitisquitesmall comparedtootherpositionsonearth,particularlyatlatitudesof23degreesorso.Evenlargerdifferencescanoccurdependingontheshapeofa bayorinletorcontinentalshelf."Dr.Odenwald'sASKTHEASTRONOMER Whyareoceantidessodifferenteverywhere? "Becausetheydependonmanyfactorsincludingthegeometryofyourlocalcoastline,andexactlywheretheSunandMoonarelocated.Also,like thesurfaceofavibratingdrum,theworldoceanshavevibratorymodesthatgetstimulatedinchangingwaysfromminutetominute.Finally,thereare stormsatseaandelsewherewhichmovelargequantitiesofwater.Detailedforecastsareavailableforhighandlowtidesinallseaports."Dr. Odenwald'sASKTHEASTRONOMER Whyaren'ttheAtlanticandPacificcoasttidesthesame? "ThenatureoftidesontheEarth'soceansisverycomplex.Theoceansare,ofcourse,beingperiodically'forced'byanumberoftidalsources includingtheMoonandtheSun,butthisforcinghasanumberofdifferentperiodsandharmonics.ThetwodominantperiodsaresuetotheSunand Moon,thesearereferredtoastheS1andM2'modes'whichhaveroughly12hourperiodsbecausetheyraiseTWOwatertidesontheocean diametricallyoppositeeachother.But,foravarietyofreasons,anygivenportwillnothavetwohighandtwolowtideseachdayalsocalled'semi diurnaltides'.Acarefulmonitoringofthetidesatanyportforseveralyearswillshowthatinadditiontothemajormodes,thereareasmanyas300 minoror'harmonic'modesaswell. TheWorldOceanisacomplexdynamicalsystem.Thenaturalvelocityofawaterdisturbancedependsonthedepthandsalinityofthewaterateach pointitpasses.Whenbodiesoflandcircumscribebodiesofwater,theyproduceacollectionofresonatingsystemsthatfavorwateroscillationswith certainfrequenciesoverothers.Fromamongthe300+harmonicsthatcanbemeasured,everyportandcoastallocationhasitsownunique signaturedependingonitslatitude,longitude,waterdepthandsalinity.Theresultisthatthe'twohightwolow'tiderulecanbestronglymodifiedso thatthetimebetweensuccessivehightidescanbegreaterthanorlessthat12hoursinmanycases.Theresultisthatforsomelocations,therecan bedayswhenonlyonehightideoccurs.LookingattheAtlanticandPacificCoasttidetablesfor1995,thedataforthevarious'StandardPorts' showedthatvirtuallyalldayshadtwohightidesandtwolowtidesinSanDiego,SanFrancisco,NewYorkandCharleston.Therewere,howevera fewdayseveryfewmonthswhenonlyasinglehightideoccurred."Dr.Odenwald'sASKTHEASTRONOMER WhatisaProxigeanSpringTide? "TheMoonfollowsanellipticalpatharoundtheEarthwhichhasaperigeedistanceof356,400kilometers,whichisabout92.7percentofitsmean distance.Becausetidalforcesvaryasthethirdpowerofdistance,thislittle8percentchangetranslatesinto25percentincreaseinthetide producingabilityoftheMoonupontheEarth.IfthelunarperigeeoccurswhentheMoonisbetweentheSunandtheEarth,itproducesunusuallyhigh Springhightides.WhenitoccursontheoppositesidefromtheEarththatwheretheSunislocated(duringfullmoon)itproducesunusuallylow, NeapTides.TheHigh,HighTideiscalledtheProxigeanSpringTideanditoccursnotmorethanonceevery1.5years.Someoccurrencesare morefavorablethatothers. Averyinterestingbook"TidalDynamics"byFergusJ.Wood,publishedin1986byReidelPublishingCompany,talksatgreatlengthaboutthese tides,andtheirenvironmentalconsequences. BecauseofthegravitationalnatureoftheinteractionbetweentheEarth,theMoon,andthewaterontheEarth,thereisacuriousamplificationevent called'evection'thatoccurswhentheMoonisatitsclosest'perigee'distancecalledits'proxigee'.TheMoondrawsevenclosertotheEarththanits ordinaryperigeedistance.BecauseofthecomplexdynamicsoftheEarth'soceans,theirinertia,frictionwiththeoceanfloor,internalviscosityand thedistributionofthecontinents,themaximumtidesdonotalwayscoincidewiththeoptimaltimesofproxigee.Still,thesetidescanproduce enormousdamagewhenallfactorscometogetheroptimally.Therearemanyrecordedinstancesofunusuallyhighstormorcoastalfloodingduring theproxigeantimes.OnJanuary9,1974theLosAngelesTimesreported'GiantWavesPoundSouthlandCoast". Duringthelast400years,therehavebeen39instancesor'ExtremeProxigeanSpringTides'wherethetideproducingseverityhasbeennearthe theoreticalmaximum.ThelastoneofthesewasonMarch71995at22:00hoursGreenwichCivilTimeduringalunarFullMoon.Therewere,infact

called'evection'thatoccurswhentheMoonisatitsclosest'perigee'distancecalledits'proxigee'.TheMoondrawsevenclosertotheEarththanits ordinaryperigeedistance.BecauseofthecomplexdynamicsoftheEarth'soceans,theirinertia,frictionwiththeoceanfloor,internalviscosityand thedistributionofthecontinents,themaximumtidesdonotalwayscoincidewiththeoptimaltimesofproxigee.Still,thesetidescanproduce enormousdamagewhenallfactorscometogetheroptimally.Therearemanyrecordedinstancesofunusuallyhighstormorcoastalfloodingduring theproxigeantimes.OnJanuary9,1974theLosAngelesTimesreported'GiantWavesPoundSouthlandCoast". Duringthelast400years,therehavebeen39instancesor'ExtremeProxigeanSpringTides'wherethetideproducingseverityhasbeennearthe theoreticalmaximum.ThelastoneofthesewasonMarch71995at22:00hoursGreenwichCivilTimeduringalunarFullMoon.Therewere,infact casesofextremetidalfloodingrecordedduringtheseparticularspringtideswhichoccuronceevery31years."Dr.Odenwald'sASKTHE ASTRONOMER IftheMoonweretoescape,whatwouldhappentotheEarth'soceans? "WhathappensisthatthelunarwatertidesontheEarthgoaway,butthesolarwatertidesstilloccur,butwithabout1/3orsotheamplitude.There arestilldailyhighandlowtides,buttheywouldbenoticeablysmaller.Therewouldbeno'Spring'or'Neap'tides,however."Dr.Odenwald'sASKTHE ASTRONOMER WhydoestheMoonproduceTWOwatertidesontheEarthandnotjustone? "ItisintuitivelyeasytounderstandwhythegravitationalpulloftheMoonshouldproduceawatertideontheEarthinthepartoftheoceanclosestto themoonalongthelineconnectingthecenteroftheMoonwiththecenteroftheEarth.ButinfactnotonebutTWOwatertidesareproducedunder whichtheEarthrotateseverydaytoproduceabouttwohightidesandtwolowtideseveryday.Howcome? Itisnotthegravitationalforcethatisdoingit,butthechangeinthegravitationalforceacrossthebodyoftheEarth.Ifyouweretoplotthepatternof theMoon's'tidal'gravitationalforceaddedtotheEarth'sowngravitationalforce,attheEarth'ssurface,youwouldbeabletoresolvetheforce vectorsatdifferentlatitudesandlongitudesintoaradialcomponentdirectedtowardstheEarth'scenter,andacomponenttangentialtotheEarth's surface.Onthesidenearestthemoon,the'differential'gravitationalforceisdirectedtowardtheMoonshowingthatforparticlesontheEarth's surface,theyarebeingtuggedslightlytowardstheMoonbecausetheforceoftheMoonisslightlystrongerattheEarth'ssurfacethanattheEarth's centerwhichisanadditional6300kilometersfromtheMoon.OnthefarsideoftheEarth,theMoonistuggingonthecenteroftheEarthslightly strongerthanitisonthefarsurface,sotheresultantforcevectorisdirectedawayfromtheEarth'scenter. ThenetresultofthisisthattheEarthgetsdeformedintoaslightlysquashed,ellipsoidalshapeduetothesetidalforces.Thishappensbecauseif weresolvethetidalforcesateachpointontheEarthintoalocalverticalandhorizontalcomponent,thehorizontalcomponentsarenotzero,andare directedtowardsthetwopointsalongthelineconnectingtheEarthandtheMoon'scenters.Thesehorizontalforcescauserockandwatertofeela gravitationalforcewhichresultsintheflowofrockandwaterintothe'tidalbulges'.Therewillbeexactlytwoofthesebulges.Atexactlythepositions ofthetidalbulgeswheretheMoonisatthezenithandatthenadirpositions,therearenohorizontaltidalforcesandtheflowstops.Thewatergets piledup,andtheonlyeffectistoslightlylowertheweightofthewateralongtheverticaldirection. AnotherwayofthinkingaboutthisisthatthegravitationalforceoftheMooncausestheEarthtoaccelerateslightlytowardstheMooncausingthe watertogetpulledtowardstheMoonfasterthanthesolidrockonthesidenearesttheMoon.Onthefarside,thesolidEarth'leavesbehind'someof thewaterwhichisnotasstronglyacceleratedtowardstheMoonastheEarthis.Thisproducesthebulgeonthe'backside'oftheEarth."Dr. Odenwald'sASKTHEASTRONOMER WhatCausesTides? "Thereareseveralkindsoftides.Theonesthatbreakuponabeachevery10secondstoaminutearecausedbysealeveldisturbancesoutinthe oceanproducedbysuchthingsasstorms.Also,thevariouscirculationcurrentsofseawatercanhavevelocitycomponentsdirectedtowardsthe landwhichwillbringwaterupontothebeach.Asthiswatertravelstowardsthebeachfromdeepwatertoshallowwater,itsamplitudewillincrease untilitfinally'breaks'asafullfledgedbreaker,suitableforsurfingetc. Now,underlyingthisminutetominuteactivityisaslowerwaterwavewhichcausesanalternatingpatternofhightide,lowtide,hightide,lowtidein mostplacesontheEarththataredirectlyontheocean.Thisroughly6hourcycleiscausedbythegravitationaltuggingoftheMoonupontheEarth. This'tidal'pullcausestheshapeofthesolidEarthtobenotperfectlyroundbysomethinglikeafewdozenyardsoveritsentire27,000mile circumference.TheEarthgetsdistortedasmallbit,butbecauseitissolidrockitsasmalleffect.Thewaterintheoceans,however,getsdistorted intoaroughlyellipsoidal(footballlike)shapewithamuchlargeramplitude.Theorientationofthisshapechangesfromminutetominuteasthe MoonorbitstheEarth,whichiswhythehighandlowtidetimeschangeallthetime.TheMooncausesthesetidesbydeformingtheoceans,andas theEarthrotatesunderthisoceanbulge,itcausesahightidetopropagateontobeaches.Becausetherearetwobulges,wegettwohightides, andalsotwolowtideseachday. TheSunalsocausestidesontheEarthbecauseeventhoughitissofaraway,itisverymassive.Thesesolartidesareabouthalfasstrongasthe onesproducedbytheMoon,andtheycausethesocalledSpringtidesandtheNeapTides.WhenthebulgeofoceanwaterraisedbytheMoonis addedtheasimilartidalbulgeraisedbytheSun,yougetahigher,hightidecalledtheSpringTide.Whenthesolarlowtideisaddedtothelunarlow tide,yougettheNeapTide. TheremaybeevenweakertidescausedbythegravitationalinfluencesoftheplanetsMarsandVenus,buttheyareprobablylostinthedailynoise ofindividualtides."Dr.Odenwald'sASKTHEASTRONOMER WhentheEarth,MoonandSunarealignedforSpringTides,aretheyhighestatFullorNewMoon? "SpringtidesareaboutthesameheightwhetheratNeworFullMoon,becausethetidalbulgeoccursonbothsidesoftheEarth...thesidetoward theMoon(orsun)andthesideawayfromtheMoon(orSun).TheywillnotbeequallyhighbecausethedistancebetweentheEarthandSun,and theEarthandMoonbothvaryandsowilltheirtideproducingeffectiveness.ThehighestSpringtidesoccurwhentheMoonisatitsclosesttothe Earth...thesocalledPerigeeTide."Dr.Odenwald'sASKTHEASTRONOMER
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