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Bay of Fundy (Canada)

Tides

 Measuring tides

 General description

 Physical mechanism

 Characteristics in different locations

and

Measuring tides

 Records of the position of surface with respect to a fixed level (a datum)

tidal pole float tidal gauge Measuring tides

 Time series of sea surface height

Hilo observations and predictions (PacIOOS)

Measuring tides

Examples of tidal time series General description

 Up and down motion of sea level

 Back and forth currents

 Periodic (~12 hours and 24 hours)

 Amplitude and timing vary from one location to another

 Propagating shallow- wave of very long wavelength (~10,000km)

Physical mechanism

 due to the gravitational attraction of Moon and Sun on and its

 and the rotation of Moon around Earth and the Earth-Moon system around the Sun

Moon Sun

Earth

Physical mechanism

 due to the gravitational attraction of Moon and Sun on Earth and its ocean

 and the rotation of Moon around Earth and the Earth-Moon system around the Sun

Moon Sun “It's complicated!”

Earth

Theory of equilibrium tides

 Simplified problem

 Earth-Moon system only

 No rotation of Earth around its own axis

 Earth covered with an ocean (no )

 No friction

Theory of equilibrium tides

Centrifugal Force (varies withr)

r

d

Gravitational Force varies with 1/d2)

Theory of equilibrium tides

Theory of equilibrium tides

Theory of equilibrium tides

Theory of equilibrium tides

Theory of equilibrium tides

Tidal Force

Theory of equilibrium tides

Tidal Force

Theory of equilibrium tides

Tidal Force

Two Lunar Bulges

With Earth's rotation

Semi-diurnal Tide

B

A C ~ 1 day

D

Two Lunar Bulges

A B C D A

Lunar day

Lunar day is about 24 hours and 50 min

Semi-diurnal tide is 12 hours and 25 min

With Earth's rotation

Semi-diurnal Tide

B

A C 1 lunar day

D

Two Lunar Bulges

A B C D A

With Earth's rotation

Semi-diurnal Tide

C D A

1 lunar day

Two Lunar Bulges

A B C D A

With Earth's declination

Diurnal Tide

C A B

tor ua eq 1 lunar day

Two Lunar Bulges

A B C D A

With Earth's declination

Mixed Tide

C B

A tor ua eq 1 lunar day

Two Lunar Bulges

A B C D A

With Earth's declination

Semi-diurnal Tide

C B tor ua eq 1 lunar day A

Two Lunar Bulges

A B C D A

Three types of tides

Diurnal Tide

Semi-diurnal Tide

Mixed Tide

Spring and neap tides

Spring Tide

Neap Tide

Two Spring/Neap Tides every 29 ½ days Spring and neap tides

Additional variations

Greatest

Lowest tidal range

Additional variations Spring Tide + Perigee = Proxigean Tides

Greatest tidal range

Lowest tidal range

Real tides

 Tides are shallow-water waves (period 12-24 hours, size of an ocean basin)

 Propagates counterclockwise in N.H. and clockwise in S.H.

 Amphidromic points (weak tides at these locations)

Real tides

Bay of Fundy: Case of tidal resonance

 Off-shore tides excite a natural mode of variability of the continental shelf or the bay

Tacoma Narrows Bridge Collapse

Tidal bore

 Incoming tide forms a wave that travels up a river against the river current

 Watch the "Bono" in Indonesia: A case of river surfing (Kampar River)