How the tides REALLY work
Waterlust・11 minutes read
The tides are not solely caused by the moon's gravitational pull; Sir Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation explains how gravity and distances between objects influence tidal forces, creating various patterns like spring and neap tides. Various factors like celestial bodies and local geography can amplify tidal effects, leading to significant differences in tidal amplitudes in different locations.
Insights
- The tide is primarily influenced by the gravitational forces of celestial bodies like the moon, sun, Venus, and Jupiter, deforming objects towards each other and creating bulges in the ocean.
- Local factors such as coastline shape and bathymetry can significantly amplify tidal effects, leading to substantial differences in tidal amplitudes in nearby locations, as demonstrated by the Bay of Fundy in Canada.
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Recent questions
How does the moon affect ocean tides?
The moon's gravitational force causes the rhythmic changes in ocean water levels known as tides. This force deforms the Earth towards the moon, creating bulges in the ocean on opposite sides of the planet. As the Earth rotates, different locations experience high and low tides due to this gravitational interaction.
What is Newton's law of universal gravitation?
Newton's law of universal gravitation explains how gravity between objects is proportional to their mass and distance. This law states that every object in the universe attracts every other object with a force that is directly proportional to the product of their masses and inversely proportional to the square of the distance between their centers.
Why do spring tides occur?
Spring tides occur when the Moon and Sun align, creating a stronger gravitational pull on the Earth. This alignment results in higher high tides and lower low tides, as the gravitational forces from both celestial bodies reinforce each other, leading to more significant tidal amplitudes.
What causes neap tides?
Neap tides occur when the Moon and Sun are at a 90-degree angle relative to the Earth. During neap tides, the gravitational forces from the Moon and Sun partially cancel each other out, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides compared to spring tides.
How do coastal features impact tidal effects?
Coastal features, such as the shape of coastlines and local bathymetry, can amplify tidal effects in specific regions. The Bay of Fundy in Canada is a prime example of how these factors can lead to significant differences in tidal amplitudes in nearby locations. The unique shape of the bay and its underwater topography create a funneling effect that magnifies the tidal forces, resulting in the highest tides in the world.
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Summary
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Tides: Moon's Influence on Ocean Levels
- The tide is a rhythmic change in ocean water levels that occurs daily and is influenced by the moon's gravitational force.
- The common explanation of the tide being caused by the moon's gravitational pull creating bulges on Earth is incomplete and misleading.
- Sir Isaac Newton's law of universal gravitation explains how gravity between objects is proportional to their mass and distance.
- Newton's Second Law states that objects accelerate proportionally to the force applied to them, regardless of their mass.
- The distance dependency in gravity creates tides by deforming objects towards each other, leading to the formation of bulges in the ocean.
- Tidal forces deform celestial bodies, create ring systems, and are responsible for the tides in the ocean.
- The tidal forces on Earth are influenced by nearby massive objects like the Moon, the sun, Venus, and Jupiter.
- Different tidal constituents, like the lunar semidiurnal tide (M2) and solar semidiurnal tide (S2), create various tidal patterns.
- Spring tides occur when the Moon and Sun align, causing higher high tides, while neap tides happen when they are at 90-degree angles, resulting in lower high tides.
- The Bay of Fundy in Canada showcases how the shape of coastlines and local bathymetry can amplify tidal effects, leading to significant differences in tidal amplitudes in nearby locations.
