Afiqah Rosly/2018

What are tides?  Tides are very long, slow waves.

Tides
 They have a wave period of 12 hours 25
 Tides are daily changes in the level of ocean water.
min.
 They are the periodic rise and fall of the water
 Tidal day is 24 hours 50 min.
level in the oceans and other large bodies of water.
 Malaysia has 2 high and 2 low tides daily.

1. Gravitational pull of sun & moon on Earth

 Moon closer, therefore > effect

 Like magnet, pulls water away from surface =
TIDAL BULGE

Causes
of Tides
2. Centrifugal Forces

 Produced by motions of Earth, sun, & moon

 Bulge on opposite side because centr. force >
pull of moon

High Tides Low Tides Moon and sun are in

The part of the ocean directly
facing the moon bulges
towards the moon.
direct line with one
The part of the ocean directly another
facing away the moon bulges Results in unusually high
Spring Tide
tidal range
away the moon.

There is a corresponding bulge There is a corresponding bulge 2'x per month

on the opposite side of the on the other side of the Earth.
Types of
Earth. Tides sun and moon are at
right angles

Pulls cancel each other

out – causes a weak pull
Neap Tide
unusually low tidal
These bulges causing high Bulges of low tides. range
tides.
2 x’s per month

Thanks Aifa!
 Afiqah Rosly/2018
Types of Tidal Cycles

Differentiate these terms!

Diurnal Tides Semi-diurnal Tides Mixed Tides
Apogee Perigee
2 high & 2 low / Moon closest to earth, very high tides (causes
1 high & 1 low / 2 high & 2 low /
day (height Moon farthest away from earth, very low tide
day day flooding)
varies)
Periods between Aphelion Perihelion
Tidal period of Tidal period of 12
12 hrs 25 min &
24hrs 25 min hrs 25 min.
24 hrs 25 mins. Sun farthest from earth (152.1 million km) Sun closest to earth (147.1 million km)
Atlantic coasts of
Parts of Gulf of
North America Pacific coast Tidal Stream Current
Mexico and Asia
and Europe
- Rise and fall of tide
Horizontal movement of water
- Move left and right

Chart Datum Sounding Datum

Level to which soundings on a published chart are - Level to which soundings are reduced during
reduced (LAT, MLLW) hydrographic surveying.
- Should agree with chart datum

Vernal Equinox Autumnal Equinox

Vernal equinox in spring, on about March 20 in the Equinox in autumn, on about September 22 in
northern hemisphere and September 22 in the the northern hemisphere and March 20 in the
southern hemisphere southern hemisphere

Expose & submerge

organisms
Importance of Tides

Circulate water in bays &

estuaries

Circulates food, wastes,

etc

Trigger spawning (grunion,

horseshoe crab)