Tides Flashcards
What is responsible for the Tides?
The moon’s gravitational field is different across the Earth, creating tidal forces.
What produces a HIGH tide?
The side of the Earth closest to the moon will experience a tidal bulge as the Moon’s gravitational field is strong enough to attract the water on the closest side.
What happens on the opposite side of the Earth to a HIGH tide?
The Earth is still closer to the moon than the far tide so is more strongly attracted than the water. The net effect of this is to produce a second high tide on the far side as the Earth moves more than the far water.
What produces a LOW tide?
The two high tides narrow the oceans (shallower) at points on the Earth’s surface between them, producing low tides. Low tides occur perpendicular to high tides.
What helps to produce an additional 2 types of tides?
When combined with the moon’s gravitational field, the sun can help produce a neap tide and a spring tide.
When do SPRING tides occur?
When the sun, the Earth and Moon are aligned (syzygy). The moon’s forces are reinforced by the sun’s.
What occurs as a consequence of SPRING tides?
Increase of the tidal range.
The highest high tide
The lowest low tides
When do NEAP tides occur?
The sun and moon are perpendicular to each other. Moon’s tidal force is partially cancelled out by the sun’s.
What occurs as a consequence of NEAP tides?
Reduction of the tidal range
The lowest high tide
The highest low tide
How often do spring and neap tides occur?
Occur every two weeks because it’s half a lunar month (time for moon to orbit earth once)
