Category: article

Tides, the Scientific Approach

I came across this video and thought you might find it interesting.

It goes beyond the simple “moon’s gravity pulls the water” explanation.

It clarifies the actual science behind how tidal bulges form on both sides of earth.

Common Misconceptions

The video debunks the common, but incomplete, explanation that the moon’s gravity simply pulls water to create bulges on both sides of the earth.

It highlights that this explanation often fails to properly account for the bulge on the opposite side of the earth.

The Role of Gravity and Tidal Forces

It introduces Newton’s Law of Universal Gravitation and Newton’s Second Law, explaining how the distance-dependency of gravity creates tidal forces.

These forces deform celestial bodies and are responsible for the tides on Earth.

How Bulges are Formed

Tidal forces cause the water on the side of Earth closest to the moon to accelerate faster than the solid rock, forming a bulge.

Conversely, the water on the far side accelerates slower than the rock, forming a second bulge as it’s “left behind.”

Tidal Constituents

The video discusses various tidal constituents.

These include the lunar semi-diurnal tide (M2) and the solar semi-diurnal tide (S2).

Their alignment leads to phenomena like spring and neap tides.

Local Influences on Tides

It illustrates how local geography, like the shape of coastlines, can significantly amplify tidal effects.

The Bay of Fundy is used as a prime example of resonance.

The video also emphasizes that tides are unique to each location due to these geographical factors.

This video was pubished on the Waterlust YouTUbe channel.

Sea State and Wind Force

Earlier I wrote an article about the Sea States in combination with the wind force: Beaufort vs Douglas Sea Scale