University:
Boston University
Course:
CAS EE 144 | Introduction to Oceanography
Academic year:

2020
Views:

124

Pages:

20
Author:

Jazlene Phelps

The Importance of Tides Important for commerce and science for thousands of years • • • • • • • Tidal heights are necessary for navigation. Tides affect mixing, stratification and, as a result biological activity. Tides produce strong currents, up to 5m/s in coastal waters Tidal currents generate internal waves over various topographies. The Earth's crust “bends” under tidal forces. Tides influence the orbits of satellites. Tidal forces are important in solar and galactic dynamics. The Nature of Tides “The truth is, the word "tide" as used by sailors at sea means horizontal motion of the water; but when used by landsmen or sailors in port, it means vertical motion of the water.” “One of the most interesting points of tidal theory is the determination of the currents by which the rise and fall is produced, and so far the sailor's idea of what is most noteworthy as to tidal motion is correct: because before there can be a rise and fall of the water anywhere it must come from some other place, and the water cannot pass from place to place without moving horizontally, or nearly horizontally, through a great distance. Thus the primary phenomenon of the tides is after all the tidal current; …” The Tides, Sir William Thomson (Lord Kelvin) – 1882, Evening Lecture To The British Association TIDAL HYDRODYNAMICS AND MODELING TIDAL HYDRODYNAMICS AND MODELING Outline 1) Tides within the Wave Spectrum 2) Tide‐Generating Forces 3) Equilibrium Theory of Tides – Diurnal, Semi‐diurnal, Mixed 4) Tidal Propagation in Ocean Basins ‐ Rotation, Resonance 5) Dynamical Theory of Tides ‐ Laplace’s Equations 6) Tidal Prediction – Tidal Potential, Harmonic Analysis 7) Non‐linear Tides 8) Tidal Currents Types of Waves Types of Waves Tide-Generating Forces Ocean tides are a result of the combined action of differential gravitational attractions and the centrifugal forces within the Earth-Moon-Sun system. Gravitational Forces • Gravitational Force between two objects (F) – every particle attracts every other particle Fm = G Mm ME r2 G = 6.6×10-11 Newton m2/kg2 Mm = mass of the Moon ME = mass of Earth r = distance between Moon and Earth Centrifugal Forces • • Center-seeking force arising from the revolution of the Earth and the Moon about their common center of mass Uniform everywhere on Earth Center of Mass of the EarthMoon system M E / M v2 Fc = r v = speed of the Earth or Moon Resultant Tide-Generating Forces, T T ≈G 2Mm MEa r3 a = radius of the Earth • Resultant force has significant horizontal component • Resultant force is inversely proportional to the cube of the distance to the Moon. • Pushes water into two simultaneous bulges, one toward and one away from Moon Lunar Effect – Tidal Bulges What about the Sun? Sun is 27 million times more massive than moon, but 390 times farther away. 1 Tm M m rs3 = = × 390 3 = 2.2 7 3 Ts M S rm 2.7 ×10 Moon more than twice as important for creating tides. Equilibrium Theory of Tides Assumptions: • Earth’s surface completely covered by water of infinite depth • Wave is progressive, moves significant distances relative to Earth’s surface • Tidal wave in equilibrium with tide generating forces (gravitational and centrifugal) Lunar Day is 24 hours 50 minutes This gives two high (flood) and two low (ebb) tides, each 12.42 hours apart. So tidal period is 12.42 hours (the tide is a very long wave). A lunar day is longer than a solar day. A lunar day is the time that elapses between the time the moon is highest in the sky and the next time it is highest in the sky. In a 24‐hour solar day, the moon moves eastward about 12.2. Earth must rotate another 12.2° ‐ 50 minutes to again place the moon at the highest position overhead. A lunar day is therefore 24 hours 50 minutes long. Because Earth must turn an additional 50 minutes for the same tidal alignment, lunar tides usually arrive 50 minutes later each day. Both Sun and Moon Create Tides Remember, moon’s tide generating force is 2.2 times bigger than sun’s. Spring Tide • Largest tidal range • Full, new moons • Lunar and solar tides align – constructive interference • Approximately 2-weeks between spring tides Neap Tide • Least tidal range • Quarter moons • Lunar and solar tides at 90O - destructive interference Tidal waves can constructively and destructively interfere with each other. Wave period due to moon = 12.42 hours. This called the M2 tide. Wave period due to sun = 12.00 hours. This called the S2 tide. Tides that occur twice a day (2 highs and 2 lows) are called semi-diurnal tides. Neap Tides Spring Tides Neap Tides Dominant Diurnal and Semidiurnal Tidal Constituents Symbol Period (hours) Description M2 12.42 Main Lunar Semidiurnal constituent S2 12.00 Main Solar Semidiurnal constituent N2 12.66 Lunar constituent due to monthly variation in the Moon’s distance K2 11.97 Solar‐lunar constituent due to changes in declination of the sun and the moon K1 23.93 Solar‐lunar constituent O1 25.82 Main lunar diurnal constituent P1 24.07 Main solar diurnal constituent Other complicating factors: Declination Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees relative to its rotation about the Sun Other complicating factors: Declination • Angular distance of the Moon or Sun above or below Earth’s equator • Sun to Earth: 23.5o N or S of equator • Moon to Earth: 28.5o N or S of equator • Shifts lunar and solar bulges from equator resulting in unequal tides at a given latitude Moon orbits Earth every 27.3 days Declination of Earth’s Axis Leads to Diurnal and Mixed Tides 13.6 days C B A Observer at point A sees 2 high tides of equal size (semidiurnal). Observer at point B sees 2 high tides of different size (mixed tides). Observer at point C see only 1 high tide (diurnal tides). Mixed Tides have 2 unequal highs and lows during the day. Small/No Diurnal Inequality Big Diurnal Inequality Diurnal Inequality – When two tides have different amplitudes.

The Importance of Tides

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