- #1
Andreas C
- 197
- 20
Ok, I wasn't sure where to post this, so I posted it here, not sure if it's the best forum for it.
Anyway, lately I've tried to explain the mechanism of tides more or less on my own, as an exercise. It's went well, until now. I've tried to explain diurnal and semidiurnal tides, and I came up with a combination of local geography and the fact that the moon's axis of revolution around Earth is not parallel with Earth's axis of rotation. The concept is highlighted here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/58xmgs6wggbms8b/Screen Shot 2016-05-24 at 2.43.15 PM.png?dl=0
In this picture (not accurate, just to visualize the concept), red is a low tide area and green is a high tide area.
That explains diurnal and semidiurnal tides well enough for areas relatively close to the equator, however it breaks down once you get close to the poles. According to pictures like these:
https://www.google.gr/search?q=semidiurnal+tide&sa=X&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=829&tbm=isch&imgil=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%3BZu8fWVj715L33M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgeologycafe.com%252Foceans%252Fchapter11.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%2CZu8fWVj715L33M%2C_&usg=__w_1mnvFXk0SQn9__FxUbx7Db7F4=&ved=0ahUKEwi3hv2s4trNAhVC2RoKHX6eCzkQyjcIOA&ei=Kdd6V_fNJ8Kya_68rsgD#tbm=isch&q=semidiurnal+tide+map&imgrc=fiDs_ZIWmgCbyM:
https://www.google.gr/search?q=semidiurnal+tide&sa=X&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=829&tbm=isch&imgil=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%3BZu8fWVj715L33M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgeologycafe.com%252Foceans%252Fchapter11.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%2CZu8fWVj715L33M%2C_&usg=__w_1mnvFXk0SQn9__FxUbx7Db7F4=&ved=0ahUKEwi3hv2s4trNAhVC2RoKHX6eCzkQyjcIOA&ei=Kdd6V_fNJ8Kya_68rsgD#tbm=isch&q=semidiurnal+tide+map&imgrc=b1PdztMcS84rTM:
Areas near the poles experience semidiurnal tides as well! That goes completely against my "theory", and I can't find a way to explain it, since I would anticipate these areas to almost not have any tides at all! Can anyone here help?
Anyway, lately I've tried to explain the mechanism of tides more or less on my own, as an exercise. It's went well, until now. I've tried to explain diurnal and semidiurnal tides, and I came up with a combination of local geography and the fact that the moon's axis of revolution around Earth is not parallel with Earth's axis of rotation. The concept is highlighted here: https://www.dropbox.com/s/58xmgs6wggbms8b/Screen Shot 2016-05-24 at 2.43.15 PM.png?dl=0
In this picture (not accurate, just to visualize the concept), red is a low tide area and green is a high tide area.
That explains diurnal and semidiurnal tides well enough for areas relatively close to the equator, however it breaks down once you get close to the poles. According to pictures like these:
https://www.google.gr/search?q=semidiurnal+tide&sa=X&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=829&tbm=isch&imgil=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%3BZu8fWVj715L33M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgeologycafe.com%252Foceans%252Fchapter11.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%2CZu8fWVj715L33M%2C_&usg=__w_1mnvFXk0SQn9__FxUbx7Db7F4=&ved=0ahUKEwi3hv2s4trNAhVC2RoKHX6eCzkQyjcIOA&ei=Kdd6V_fNJ8Kya_68rsgD#tbm=isch&q=semidiurnal+tide+map&imgrc=fiDs_ZIWmgCbyM:
https://www.google.gr/search?q=semidiurnal+tide&sa=X&espv=2&biw=1440&bih=829&tbm=isch&imgil=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%3BZu8fWVj715L33M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fgeologycafe.com%252Foceans%252Fchapter11.html&source=iu&pf=m&fir=dIaVlHqHibUTIM%3A%2CZu8fWVj715L33M%2C_&usg=__w_1mnvFXk0SQn9__FxUbx7Db7F4=&ved=0ahUKEwi3hv2s4trNAhVC2RoKHX6eCzkQyjcIOA&ei=Kdd6V_fNJ8Kya_68rsgD#tbm=isch&q=semidiurnal+tide+map&imgrc=b1PdztMcS84rTM:
Areas near the poles experience semidiurnal tides as well! That goes completely against my "theory", and I can't find a way to explain it, since I would anticipate these areas to almost not have any tides at all! Can anyone here help?