ERTH 2403 Introduction to Oceanography

Lecture 8 Tides

Tides
Periodic-short term changes in the height of ocean surface at particular
places
L = circumference of Earth
H = 2m to rarely higher
D = < L shallow water wave

Disturbing Forces
1. Gravitational attraction of Moon & Sun & Earth
2. Rotation of the Earth on its axis

Generating Force
Tide generating force is inversely proportional to cube of the distance
between their centers
Distance is more important than mass
Sun 27 million times the moon (mass) but is 387 further

Tidal Theories
1. Newtons Equilibrium Model
a. Ideal
b. Water-Covered Earth
c. Spins frictionless under ocean
2. Laplaces Dynamic Theory
a. Real friction, continents

Equilibrium Model Earth Moon system

Moon orbits the Earth
Moon and Earth together orbit sun
Spin together
Earth larger/moon, center of mass is inside of Earth = barycenter ~ 4700km
from center of Earth
Tractive Forces
1. Gravity: pulls Earth and moon together
2. Inertia (centrifugal force): keeps them apparent
3. From 2 water/tidal bulges on opposite sides of Earth

Result = Semidiurnal Tides

Two wave crests
Wave length to 20,000km
Wave height about 2m average
Wave speed at equator about 1,600km/hr

Complication Lunar Tides

1. Earth rotates every 24 hours, mon revolves around Earth every 24 hours and
50 mins
 2. Monthly, moon moves from 28 1/2o above Earths Equator to 28o below
3. Much weaker tractive force
4. Earth orbit about sun is elliptical
5. Sun and Moon acting together
a. Spring Tides
i. Every two weeks, full and new moon
ii. Sun and moon together
iii. V. high high tides and v. low low tides
b. Neap Tides
i. Every two weeks 1st & 3rd quarter moon
ii. Sun and Moon perpendicular
iii. Lower high tides and higher low tides
iv. Note extreme tides

Dynamic Theory of Tides Laplace

Friction between water and Earth

Tidal Patterns
1. Diurnal
a. One high tide and one low tide
2. Semidiurnal
a. Two high and two lows of equal value
3. Mixed
a. Semidiurnal unequal
4. Coriolis Effect
a. Deflects tide wave crest
b. Limited by edge of basin
c. Rotate about no-tide points
d. Amphidromic Point
i. Node: A no tide point in the ocean around which the tide crest
rotates through one tidal cycle counter clockwise in the Northern
Hemisphere
Tidal Datum
Mixed Tides
o MLLW mean low low water
Diurnal and Semidiurnal
o MLW mean low water
Tidal Range
o Difference between high and low
Tidal Currents
o In Basins
o Flood currents
o Slack water
o Ebb current
Tidal Bore
o Forced wave
Tidal Friction
o Slow Earths rotation
o Devonian day = 22 hours ~ 430m.y.a
 Predicting Tides
o Complex
o Local
o Navigational info
o Very accurate
Power Generator
o Rance River France

Geologic Factors Affecting Coasts

1. Active margin
a. Leading edge of plates
b. Reduced sediment from land
c. Trenches: narrow cont. margin
2. Passive margins
a. Trailing edge of plates
b. Large sediments input from land
c. Broad continental margins
3. Eustatic sea-level changes
a. Global
b. Stable over the past 2500 years (about)
c. Range over past 2 million years
d. 6m above and 125m below present level

Factors contributing to Eustatic Sea-Level Changes

1. Glaciation
2. Melting ice caps
3. Rapid seafloor spreading
a. Larger areas of basin are hot & expanded
b. Basins are reduced
c. Water level rise
4. Warming of seawater
a. Global warming heats and expands water
5. Extensive volcanism
a. Outgassing adds large volumes of water

Regional Sea-level Changes

1. Isostatic adjustment
a. Rebound or depression
2. Storms, tides, currents
3. Tectonic
a. Local faulting of coastlines up or down

Classification of Coast
1. Erosional Coasts
a. Net wearing down by ocean
b. By river/land source processes
2. Deposition Coast
a. Net sediments build-up by ocean
b. River/biological/land source processes
Erosional Coastal Features
Coasts are shaped by
o Ocean erosion
Rocky
Irregular
Sea cliffs, sea stacks, blow holes arches, wave-cut platforms
High Energy
Headland erosion : Shore Straightening
Shore Straightening
Wave refract
o Feel bottom and slow
o Bend +- parallel to shore
o High energy
o Headland erosion
Erosional Coastal Features
Land Erosion
o Drowned rivers
Rivers cut when sea level low ( ice age) drown as sea level rose
o Fjords
Glaciated valleys when sea level low
Water-filled as sea level rose
Volcanism
o Volcanic action hot lavas cutting into coast
Tectonics
o Faulting can uplift or down drop a coastline

Depositional Coastal Features

Mostly sediment covered, not rocky
Mature stage of coast formation
Erosional coasts (irregular/rocky) straighten and become depositional

Beaches
Accumulation of sediments
~30% U.S Coasts
More on east coasts (passive margin)
Dynamic states sediments in motion

Beach Profile
1. Backshore:
a. Above high tide
2. Foreshore & Nearshore
a. Intertidal: highest water
b. Berm: high water mark
c. One = high tide line
d. Berm crest: highest point
e. Beach scrap: high water cutting into the berm
f. Swash zone: flat wet surface water moves back and forth and
sediments move back and forth
 g. Surf zone breakers
3. Offshore
a. Below low tide
b. Long shore trough
c. Longshore bars
d. Longshore transport
4. Rip Currents
a. Water piles up with longshore currents
b. Periodically
i. Deeper area
ii. Water breaks through current
iii. Moves out to sea
iv. Rapid
v. Muddy
vi. Dangerous

Coastal Cells Littoral cells

Longshore transport
Moves sediments (longshore drift) along coast
Submarine canyons
o Turbidity currents move sediments
o To ocean basin (continental rise and abyssal plains)

Other large-Scale depositional features

1. Spits
2. Bay mouth bars
3. Barrier island
4. Tombolo
5. Sea island

Barrier Islands
Coastal dunes during last ice age = low sea level
Lagoons formed as sea level rose
~295 islands off east coast
~2500km shore
Migrate landward (wave erosion) ~ 2m/yr

Deltas
Land built
Passive margins
Broad continental shelves
Low ocean energy
Low tides
Low currents
Low waves
No large deltas on Atlantic coast (high energy)
Balance between river and ocean processes
River dominated
o Birds foot delta Mississippi
Wave dominated
o Small, smooth
o Single channel
o Uncommon
o San Francisco
Tide Dominated
o More or less parallel channels
o Ganges Brahmaputra (Bay of Bengal)
Coasts Dominated by biological activity
Coral Reef (tropical)
o Fringing reef
o Barriers
o Atolls
Mangroves
o Dominated in tropics
Salt water marshes
o Dominate outside of tropics

Estuary
A body of water partially surrounded by land where fresh water from a river
mixes with ocean water
Creating an area of remarkable biological productivity
Four types based on Origin
o Drowned Rivers
o Fjords
o Bar-built
o Tectonic faulting

Types of Estuaries Based on Circulation

Low density freshwater meets high density saltwater
Tides versus rivers

Factors Influencing Circulation

Shape, depth, and width of estuary
Freshwater volume
Tidal strength range
Coriolis Effect
Result in Five Circulation

Estuary Circulation
1. Salt wedge estuary
a. Deep
b. Strong river large tide
c. Sharp halocline
 d. Hudson River
2. Well mixed estuary
a. Shallow, broad
b. Low river volume
c. Strong tide
d. Internal transfer of salt water
e. Vertical mixing
f. Coriolis Effect
g. Columbia River
3. Partially mixed estuary
a. Deeper, more or less broad
b. Coriolis
c. Strong River and Tide
d. Turbulent upward mixing of water
e. Chesapeake Bay
4. Fjord Estuary
a. Deep
b. Narrow
c. Still obstruction of outflow
d. Strong River
e. Stagnant
5. Reversed Estuary
a. Arid coast
b. Periodic drying of river
c. Tide upstream
d. Evaporation result in high salinity upstream
e.