How Does The Earth's Rotation Affect Our Ocean Tide Waves
Tides are the rising and falling of the sea, caused by the gravitational forces of the sun and moon. All physical objects attract each other with gravity, but the strength of the force depends upon the mass and distance of the objects. The shorter the distance or greater the mass, the stronger the gravity. Both the sun and moon have gravitational pulls on the Earth, but the strength of the moon’s pull is stronger than the sun’s because it is much closer to the Earth. The moon pulls the ocean water on the side of the Earth facing the moon more strongly than it pulls the rest of the Earth, so the water forms a bulge. Another bulge forms on the side of the Earth facing away from the moon. The moon holds these bulges while the earth spins on its axis. This process causes our ocean tides. The areas with the bulge have a high tide, while the other areas
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experience low tides. High tides have a high water level, while low tides have a lower water level. The Earth’s rotation strongly influences Earth’s relation to tides because Earth’s rotation influences the timing of the tides, the tides slow Earth’s rotation, and the rotation of the Earth influences moon phases, which then influence spring and neap tides.
The Earth’s rotation causes us to have different tides in one day. The bulging of the Earth causes two areas on Earth to experience high tides and two areas to experience low tides. If Earth did not rotate, each part of the world would always have the same tide, whether it was high or low. However, due to Earth’s rotation, the same spot on Earth crosses the bulges twice and the low areas twice in one day. Therefore, the Earth’s rotation causes us to have daily tidal changes.
The Earth’s rotation affects tides, but tides also have an effect on Earth’s rotation by slowing it down.
Tides slow the Earth’s rotation speed in two ways. First, tides slow Earth’s rotation with tidal friction (such as bottom friction or the breaking of the waves). This effect causes a very slow, steady change in Earth’s rotation. It causes the rotation to slow by about 2 hundred-thousandths of a second each day, and it adds twenty seconds to each day every million years. (Phillips). The second way that tides slow rotation causes very small, but quick changes. In “Ocean Tides and the Earth's Rotation”, Richard Ray explains the two causes of these rapid changes by saying, “As the tides move water around the globe, the moment of inertia of the earth changes. By conservation of angular momentum, the solid earth changes its rotation rate accordingly. (2) As the tidal currents slow down or speed up, they exchange angular momentum with the solid earth, which is manifested in the rotation rate.” (Ray). Tides slow Earth’s rotation through slow, steady friction and by rapid changes caused by inertia and angular
momentum.
The Earth’s rotation also influences tides by enabling two special types of tides: spring and neap tides. Earth’s rotation influences the phases of the moon, which are necessary for spring and neap tides. At new and full moon when the the Sun, Moon and Earth are lined up, the gravitational forces of the sun and moon come together to produce extreme tides known as spring tides. Spring tides cause higher high tides and lower low tides, which means that there is a large tidal range. When the Moon is at its first or third quarter and is at a right angle with the Earth and Sun, the solar and lunar tides work against each other, causing neap tides. Neap tides are the opposite of spring tides, because they are weak and have a small tidal range. The Earth’s rotation is in part responsible for spring and neap tides, because the rotation influences the phases of the moon, which then cause spring and neap tides.
In conclusion, the Earth’s rotation impacts Earth’s relation to tides in three important ways. First, Earth’s rotation causes each region on Earth to experience different tides in a day instead of having just one tide. Secondly, tides slow Earth’s rotation through friction and rapid changes caused by inertia and angular momentum. Lastly, Earth’s rotation influences the phases of the moon, which then cause spring and neap tides.The Earth’s rotation is one of the most important factors that affects the complex relationship between Earth and the tides.
experience low tides. High tides have a high water level, while low tides have a lower water level. The Earth’s rotation strongly influences Earth’s relation to tides because Earth’s rotation influences the timing of the tides, the tides slow Earth’s rotation, and the rotation of the Earth influences moon phases, which then influence spring and neap tides.
The Earth’s rotation causes us to have different tides in one day. The bulging of the Earth causes two areas on Earth to experience high tides and two areas to experience low tides. If Earth did not rotate, each part of the world would always have the same tide, whether it was high or low. However, due to Earth’s rotation, the same spot on Earth crosses the bulges twice and the low areas twice in one day. Therefore, the Earth’s rotation causes us to have daily tidal changes.
The Earth’s rotation affects tides, but tides also have an effect on Earth’s rotation by slowing it down.
Tides slow the Earth’s rotation speed in two ways. First, tides slow Earth’s rotation with tidal friction (such as bottom friction or the breaking of the waves). This effect causes a very slow, steady change in Earth’s rotation. It causes the rotation to slow by about 2 hundred-thousandths of a second each day, and it adds twenty seconds to each day every million years. (Phillips). The second way that tides slow rotation causes very small, but quick changes. In “Ocean Tides and the Earth's Rotation”, Richard Ray explains the two causes of these rapid changes by saying, “As the tides move water around the globe, the moment of inertia of the earth changes. By conservation of angular momentum, the solid earth changes its rotation rate accordingly. (2) As the tidal currents slow down or speed up, they exchange angular momentum with the solid earth, which is manifested in the rotation rate.” (Ray). Tides slow Earth’s rotation through slow, steady friction and by rapid changes caused by inertia and angular
momentum.
The Earth’s rotation also influences tides by enabling two special types of tides: spring and neap tides. Earth’s rotation influences the phases of the moon, which are necessary for spring and neap tides. At new and full moon when the the Sun, Moon and Earth are lined up, the gravitational forces of the sun and moon come together to produce extreme tides known as spring tides. Spring tides cause higher high tides and lower low tides, which means that there is a large tidal range. When the Moon is at its first or third quarter and is at a right angle with the Earth and Sun, the solar and lunar tides work against each other, causing neap tides. Neap tides are the opposite of spring tides, because they are weak and have a small tidal range. The Earth’s rotation is in part responsible for spring and neap tides, because the rotation influences the phases of the moon, which then cause spring and neap tides.
In conclusion, the Earth’s rotation impacts Earth’s relation to tides in three important ways. First, Earth’s rotation causes each region on Earth to experience different tides in a day instead of having just one tide. Secondly, tides slow Earth’s rotation through friction and rapid changes caused by inertia and angular momentum. Lastly, Earth’s rotation influences the phases of the moon, which then cause spring and neap tides.The Earth’s rotation is one of the most important factors that affects the complex relationship between Earth and the tides.