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When is the best time to go beachcombing or tide pooling?
High tide or low tide?
Better check the tide tables before you head to the beach http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=99-9mnCMahA
How to read Tide Tables Patterns or types of tides http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/
Maritime activities throughout the world depend on accurate tidal and current information for safe operation
Tides in the news…
Raw sewage pouring into harbor off Bainbridge Island
A major sewage pipe that ruptured Saturday on Bainbridge Island continued to spill tens of thousands of gallons of raw waste into Eagle Habour...
By Drew DeSilver, Seattle Times staff reporter, June 2, 2009
“A major sewage pipe that ruptured Saturday on Bainbridge Island continued to spill tens of thousands of gallons of raw waste into Eagle Harbor today, and a city official said the line can't be fixed until Tuesday morning.”
“The pipe runs about four feet underneath the beach, about 1,000 feet from the ferry terminal. It's underwater except during low tides; crews had to dig it up Sunday morning to examine the damage.”
Read the full article: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2009284656_sewage01m.html
An Introduction to Tides Tides are the rise and fall of sea level caused by the
combined effect or rotation of the Earth and the gravitation of the Moon and Sun.
Tides are long period waves that begin in open ocean and move toward shore, resulting in the rise and fall of sea level
When the crest of the wave reaches a particular location, high tide occurs
Low tide corresponds to the trough
The difference in height between high and low tide is the tidal range
Tidal period
Why do we have tides?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CTQ6ciHENgI
Gravitational attraction between the sun and moon Earth-Moon system is held in
orbit about the sun by the Sun’s gravitational attraction (A)
Centrifugal forces Pulls the Earth moon system
away from the sun
Gravitational and centrifugal forces act to keep the Earth-Moon system in balance Forces are equal and opposite
Fig. 11.3
Why do we have tides?
Gravitational attraction
Tide generating force = G(mass/distance3 ), G = universal gravitation constant
sun: 27 times larger than moon, but 390 times further from earth Sun tide is 46% of moon
tide
Why do we have tides? Centrifugal force
Acts in opposite direction to gravity and is equal to gravity to keep orbiting bodies apart
Gravity and centrifugal force act in opposition on the Earth’s oceans tidal bulges on opposite sites of the planet
Tidal bulge due to centrifugal force
What are spring tides? Neap tides? The gravitational pull of the moon and
the sun affect the Earth’s tides on a monthly basis
When the sun, moon, and Earth are in alignment (at the time of the new or full moon), the solar tide has an additive effect on the lunar tide, creating extra-high high tides, and very low, low tides -- spring tides
One week later, when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, the solar tide partially cancels out the lunar tide and produces moderate tides -- neap tides.
During each lunar month, two sets of spring and two sets of neap tides See Fig.
11.7
When is low tide? High tide?
HHW
HLW
LHW
LLW
Slack tide? Change of direction, between ebb and flood
Flood Tide? Rising tide, landward flow
Ebb Tide? Falling tide, seaward flow
Flood Ebb
Slack
Tidal Currents
Tidal currents are the horizontal movement of water that accompanies the rising and falling of the tide Incoming tide along the coast and into the bays and estuaries is
called a flood current/tide Outgoing tide is called an ebb current/tide
The strongest flood and ebb currents usually occur before or near the time of the high and low tides In the open ocean tidal currents are relatively weak Near estuary entrances, narrow straits and inlets, the speed of
tidal currents can reach up to several kilometers per hour
Stronger currents during spring tides or neap tides?
Harnessing Tides: Tidal Power
Hydropower that converts the energy of tides into electricity or other useful forms of power
Tidal energy is generated by the relative motion of the water which interact via gravity
Renewable
More predictable than wind or solar
The world's first commercial axial turbine tidal stream generator — SeaGen — in Strangford Lough. The strong wake shows the power in the tidal current.
Frequency of tides: What is a tidal day?
Tidal day = 24 hours and 50 minutes
This occurs because the moon revolves around the Earth in the same direction that the Earth is rotating on its axis It takes the Earth an extra 50
minutes to “catch up” to the moon
Explains why tides occur about one hour later each day
Don’t confuse tidal day and tidal period
Why do different places on Earth see different patterns of tides?
As the moon revolves around the Earth, its angle increases and decreases in relation to the equator – declination
Tidal bulges track the changes in lunar and solar declination, also increasing or decreasing their angles to the equator
Three basic tidal patterns occur along the Earth’s major shorelines
Most areas have two high tides and two low tides each day
Semidiurnal – two highs and lows are about the same height
Mixed Semidiurnal – highs and lows tides differ in height
Diurnal – one high and one low tide each day
Why do different places on Earth see different patterns of tides?
Continents block the westward passage of the tidal bulges as the Earth rotates
Unable to move freely around the globe, these tides establish complex patterns within each ocean basin
Why do different places on Earth see different patterns of tides?
What Affects Tides in Addition to the Sun and Moon?
Distances and positions of the sun, moon and Earth all affect the size and magnitude of the Earth’s two tidal bulges
The magnitude of tides can be strongly influenced by the shape of the shoreline When oceanic tidal bulges hit coastlines, the height of the tides can
be magnified Conversely, mid-oceanic islands typically experience very small tides
of 3 feet or less
The shape and depths of bays estuaries and inlets also can magnify the intensity of tides Estuaries with strong tidal rivers, such as the Columbia River,
powerful seasonal river flows in the spring can severely alter or mask the incoming tide.
Local wind and weather patterns also can affect tides
Be Aware of Tides in Puget Sound
The shape of Puget Sound affects the tide as it moves through channels and inlets
In the Straight of Juan De Fuca, a 7.2 foot tide at Cape Flattery will reach Port Townsend 3 hours and forty minutes later and increase in magnitude to 7.9 feet
The tide will reach south Puget Sound 1 hour later and increase to 13.5 feet by the time the tide reaches Olympia
Extreme high tides of 18 feet have been recorded in Olympia
Tides create strong currents
In Puget Sound, the tide rushes through narrow channels and around islands creating rapids and eddies like a whitewater river
It is important for boaters and beach explorers to know what the tide is doing
Some waters are not navigable at low tide
Some beaches may also be hazardous