Lecture 14: Tides

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture about tides, covering key terms and theories related to tides and their effects.

Tides

Periodic, short-term changes in the height of the ocean surface caused by the gravitational force of the moon and sun and the motion of Earth.

Equilibrium Theory of Tides

Explains tides based on the balance and effects of forces that maintain planetary orbits.

Dynamic Theory of Tides

Accounts for depth, seabed contour, water viscosity, and tide wave inertia to predict tides.

Inertia

The tendency of moving objects to continue in a straight line, which keeps them apart from gravitational forces.

Lunar Tides

Tides caused by the gravitational attraction of the moon, creating bulges in the ocean.

High Tide

Occurs when an area moves through the crest of a tidal bulge.

Low Tide

Occurs when an area moves through the trough of a tidal bulge.

Lunar Day

The time it takes for the moon to return to the highest point in the sky, approximately 24 hours and 50 minutes.

Solar Tides

Tides influenced by the sun’s gravitational pull, which are smaller than lunar tides due to distance.

Neap Tides

Tides that occur when the moon, Earth, and sun form a right angle, resulting in smaller high tides.

Spring Tides

Tides that occur when the Earth, moon, and sun are in alignment, resulting in higher high tides and lower low tides.

Diurnal Tides

Tides characterized by one high and one low tide each lunar day.

Semidiurnal Tides

Tides characterized by two high tides and two low tides of nearly equal height each lunar day.

Mixed Tides

Tides characterized by successive high tides and low tides of significantly different heights.

Tidal Datum

Reference level for comparing tidal height, which could be mean sea surface level or mean of all low tides.

Tidal Bore

A high wave generated by a tide crest that advances rapidly up an estuary or river.

Coriolis Effect

The apparent deflection of moving objects caused by Earth's rotation, influencing tidal water movement around amphidromic points.