Tides

• Tides


  Rise and fall of all ocean waters, resulting from the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun upon the water and the Earth.
• Tidal range


  Difference between the high tide and the low tide.
• What factors affect the tidal range?


  Coastal configuration (the shape). For example if rising and falling tides are channeled up estuaries, the tidal range can be very large.
• How many tides does a place have in a day?


  2 high tides

  2 low tides
• How does the moon influence the tides?

  Gravitational effect of the moon on the Earth and oceans. Moons mass attracts oceanic water in the part of the Earth it is nearest which creates a bulge. This creates a high tide. The water on the far side of the Earth is being thrown away from the move which makes the second bulge.
• What are spring tides, how do they form?


  Gravitational force is so strong it produced the maximum tidal waves which happened two times a month on a full moon or a new moon. The sun and moon are in alignment and the gravitational effects are together which produced very high and very low tides.
• What are neap tides, how do they form?


  Gravitational force is a lot less strong, minimum tidal range. Happens on a quarter moon or a half moon. Bulges are at the smallest, high tides are at the lowest and low tides at the highest
• Crest


  Highest point of a wave
• Trough


  Lowest point of a wave
• Wave height


  the vertical distance from the crest of a wave to the trough
• Wave length


  Horizontal distance between any point and its corresponding point
• Amplitude


  Maximum vertical displacement of the sea surface from still water levels
• Period


  The time it takes for one complete wavelength to pass a stationary point
• Wave velocity


  Distance moved by a wave crest in a given period of time
• Deep water waves


  Waves in water deeper than 1/2 of a wavelength
• Shallow/intermediate water waves


  Waves that are in water shallower than 1/2 in their wavelength.
• Steepness


  Height/length
• How are waves generated?


  By wind blowing over the sea. The effect of the friction of the wind on the surface of the sea
• What do characteristics of waves depend on?


  The winds strength, duration and fetch, stronger the wind, greater the frictional drag.