Ch 9 The Tides

Diurnal

tidal

tides

True or false: The center of mass of the Earth-Moon system is exactly halfway between the two.

What is the difference between low and high tides?

Low tide is the lowest height on the coast to which the tide reaches on a given day, and high tide is the highest point.

Rank the water levels of a mixed-tide system according to height. Put the highest water level on top.

As Earth rotates through the two water bulges created by gravity and inertia, any point on its surface will experience ______ tidal high(s) and ______ tidal low(s) per rotation.

two; two

The movement of water associated with flood and ebb tides is known as tidal ______.

currents

The centripetal force is constant and equal to the ______ force of the Sun or the Moon acting at Earth's center.

gravitational

Why is the Sun tide less influential to Earth than the Moon tide?

Where is the center of mass in the Earth-Moon system?

Approximately 1700 km beneath Earth's surface

A declinational, or diurnal, tide includes ______ low tide(s) and ______ high tide(s) each day.

one; one

The Sun's role in producing tides is greater during the Northern Hemisphere __________ because Earth is closer to the Sun at this time of year.

winter

The ______ tide wave is discontinuous, can be considered a shallow-water wave, and is impacted by the Coriolis effect.

natural

Which of the following statements correctly describe the Sun tide? (Choose all that apply.)

Tidal motion occurs ______.

at all depths

spring tide

A declinational tide is also known as a ______ tide.

What do cotidal lines represent?

Due to ______, standing wave tide current movement is deflected to the right in the Northern Hemisphere, resulting in a clockwise motion of the water. As a result, the position of the high-tide crest moves counterclockwise.

the Coriolis effect

Which of the following factors describe the natural tide wave as compared to the water-covered model tide wave? (Select all that apply.)

Ocean tides are ______, as they are the result of combining progressive and standing wave tides with diurnal and semidiurnal characteristics.

complex

True or false: Tidal motion only affects the uppermost portion of the ocean.

The standing wave tide in an ocean basin is changed by the Coriolis effect and results in the tide crest rotating ______ around an ocean basin and the tidal current rotating ______.

counterclockwise; clockwise

fast-moving, rising tide

Why is understanding ocean tides complex? (Select all that apply.)

Accurate daily tide predictions are created using ______.

actual local measurements and astronomical data

What types of information are provided by a tide table? (Select all that apply.)

Who are the primary users of tidal current tables published for coastal locations?

Large amounts of energy can be obtained from tides in places that have ______ tidal ranges or narrow channels with ______ tidal currents.

large; swift

Why are astronomical data alone not enough to predict daily tides?

There are so many specific factors to consider that actual measurements are needed.

Tidal power is ______ when compared to other energy sources because of the complicated installation process and the periodic low-power production times.

expensive

To create ______, currents in important locations are measured and then studied to determine how they are related to tidal changes.

tidal current tables

If you were interested in creating energy from tides, which of the following two situations would you look for?

Choose the reasons why tidal power generally is more expensive to generate than other energy sources. (Select all that apply.)