Tides

Question 1

When do the highest tide and lowest tide occur?

Answer 1

When the sun and moon are in alignment.

Question 2

Why do high tides (spring tides) form when the sun and moon are in alignment? What do these high tides cause?

Answer 2

The gravitational forces of the sun and moon combine to effectively pull the oceans towards them to cause the highest tides. The lowest possible tides form on the other side of the planet.

Question 3

What things occur when the sun and moon are in alignment?

Answer 3

-A spring tide
-The largest possible tidal range

Question 4

Why do low tides (neap tides) form when the sun and moon are perpendicular to each other?

Answer 4

The gravitational forces of the sun and moon act against each other so the overall gravitational pull is minimised at high tide (so the high tide is lower). Therefore, a higher low tide is formed on the other side of the planet.

Question 5

What things occur when the sun and moon are perpendicular to each other?

Answer 5

-A neap tide
-The smallest possible tidal range

Question 6

What is the tidal range?

Answer 6

The difference in height between the tides.

Question 7

What do tides affect and how?

Answer 7

Tides affect erosion as they lead to the formation of different coastal landforms

Question 8

What is the intertidal zone?

Answer 8

The shoreline between the highest and lowest spring tides, this us where the predominant wave activity occurs.

Question 9

Why do tides form?

Answer 9

-The interaction between the earth and moon means that the side of the earths surface closest to the moon experiences the strongest gravitational force. This force pulls the water towards the moon forming a high tide.
- On the opposite side, the centrifugal force counteracts the force of gravity and pulls the water away from the earth, forming another high tide.

Question 10

When do tides form?

Answer 10

Tides occur twice a day - 2 high tides and 2 low tides

Question 11

How long is the time between two tides?

Answer 11

12 hours and 25 minutes (duimal tide)

Question 12

How high is a macrotidal?

Answer 12

more than 4m

Question 13

How high is a mesotidal?

Answer 13

2 to 4m

Question 14

How high is a microtidal?

Answer 14

less than 2m

Question 15

What does it mean if there is a large tidal range at the coast?

Answer 15

The larger the tidal range, the larger the area subjected to wave action.

Question 16

What does it mean if there is a small tidal range at the coast?

Answer 16

The smaller the tidal range, the more consistently a small part of the coastline will be subject to wave action.

Question 17

What are tidal surges?

Answer 17

Where meteorological conditions give rise to strong winds which can produce much higher water levels than those at high tide.

Question 18

How can tides result in an area experiencing an increased flood risk?

Answer 18

When a low pressure system coincides with a spring tide, a storm surge can form.