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 defnition of a tide
!ides are a long"period of wa#es that mo#e through the
oceans in response to forces
$. What is a high tide What is a low tide
%igh !ide" when the crest of a wa#e reaches a particular
location
&ow !ide" corresponds with the trough
'. What is tidal range
!he di(erence in height of the two tides
What Causes Tides?
). !ides are caused by the gra#itational attraction of what two
celestial bodies
*un and +oon
,. What does -ewton.s law of uni#ersal gra#itational state
/t states that gra#itational attraction between two bodies is
directly proportional to their masses and in#ersely proportional to
the square of the distance between the two bodies.
0. Which celestial body has a greater e(ect on tidal forces on 1arth
!he +oon
Gravity, Inertia, and the Two Bulges
2. %ow does the moon create a bulge
!he gra#itational pull exceeds the inertia and the water is pulled
toward the near side of the moon
13. What causes a bulge to be created on the opposite side of the
1arth or the 4far side5 from the moon
!he inertia exceeds gra#itational pull and the water tries to keep
going in a straight line mo#ing away from 1arth.
Changing ngles and Changing Tides
11. 6escribe how changes in the relati#e positions of the moon and
sun change in relation to the 1arth
/t has a direct e(ect on the tidal heights and current intensity.
!he bugles track the declination of the angle and their angle
decrease or increases. /t also e(ects the seasons
1$. At what point is the sun at its minimum declination and its
maximum declination
+inimum" 7ernal and Autumnal 1quinoxes +aximum" *ummer
and Winter *olstices
!requency o" Tides # The $unar %ay
18. 9ompare and contrast a solar and lunar day. %ow long is a lunar
day
A *olar day is shorter than a lunar day. A &unar day is $: hours
and 83 minutes
1). Why do most coastal areas experience two high tides and two
low tides
!he 1arth rotates through two tidal bulges e#ery lunar day
1,. %ow long does it take for high tide to occur %ow long is the
time between low and high tide
1$ hours and $8 minutes. ) hours and 1$.8 minutes between
tides
Tidal &ariations # The In'uence o" Position and %istance
10. What causes spring tides What causes neap tides %ow many
spring and neap tides occur in a lunar month
*pring tides happen because the *un, +oon and 1arth are
aligned. -eap tides happen because the *un and +oon at the right
angle of each other. $ of each.
12. %ow are tide"generating forces a(ected when the moon is
closest to the 1arth ;or perigee< When the moon is farthest away
from the 1arth ;or apogee< %ow does this a(ect the tides that are
produced
When at perigee the tide"generating forces are higher than
usual. When at apogee the tide"raising forces are smaller and tidal
ranges are less than a#erage. /t a(ects the tidal ranges.
$3. %ow are tide"generating forces a(ected when the 1arth is
closest to the sun ;or perihelion< When the 1arth is farthest from
the sun ;or aphelion< %ow does this a(ect the tides that are
produced
At perihelion the tidal ranges are enhanced. At aphelion the
tidal ranges are reduced. /t a(ects the tidal range.
What (ects Tides in ddition to the )un and *oon?
$1. %ow are the magnitudes of tides a(ected by shorelines By mid"
ocean islands
When the tidal bulges hit a wide continental margin the height of the tides can
be magnified. Mid-oceanic islands experience very small tides.
$$. %ow does a funnel"shaped bay compare to a narrow inlet and
shallow water
=unnel"shaped bays can dramatically alter tide magnitude.
-arrow inlets and shallow water tend to dissipate incoming tides.
$'. What is the a(ect of strong tidal ri#ers on tides in estuaries
!hey can se#erely alter or mask the tide
$:. What other abiotic factors a(ect tides 9ompare and contrast
wind and weather patterns that a(ect tides.
&ocal Wind and Weather >atterns. *trong Winds can
exaggerate low tide exposure. %igh pressure systems can cause
exceptionally low tides and &ow pressure can cause tides higher
than predicted.