1: What are tides?
The regular, alternating rise and fall of the sea level.
2: What causes tides? Explain in detail (show diagram)
The gravitational forces of the moon and sun, and the rotation of the Earth tug on seawater and cause it to form into two enormous bulges one either side of the planet, one facing the moon and the other in the opposite direction. These form the basis for the tides.
3: Where do tides occur?
They occur in the ocean.
4: Explain- High and low tides (difference)
High tide is where the sea level floods to its highest level, and low tide is where it ebbs to its lowest level.
5: Which object exerts the most force on the tidal bulge? Why?
The moon exerts the most force because even though it is much smaller, it is also very close to the earth
6: What happens when the sun and moon align? What happens when they are perpendicular to each other?
When they are aligned, their gravity combines to form the largest tides, spring tides, and when they are perpendicular, they form moderate neap tides.
7: What are some of the other factors that affect tides?
Seafloor topography, river discharge and wind and weather conditions
8: What are the zones of the intertidal zone?
The spray zone, the upper intertidal zone, the mid intertidal zone, and the low intertidal zone.
9: What are some of the challenges for the critters of the intertidal zone? Explain.
They have to live without water for periods of hours to sometimes weeks, and endure temperature extremes, sunlight, and salinities. They must also escape predation.
10: How do the intertidal organisms COPE with the harsh environment?
Often organisms develop tough outsides to hold water and prevent waterloss, scrunch together to prevent exposure to sunlight, secrete mucus to use when outside water, close up their shells tightly, hide underneath rocks or in the sand, and/or cement themselves to rocks, sand or each other to protect against waves.
11: What are some of the adaptations that help organisms cope with wave action?
Strong skeletons, hard shells, grippers, hard skin, thick shells, firm roots, flexible stems, sturdy bodies, strong muscles, etc.
Do: Predicting the Tides
Answer the questions with the animations- post on your website with diagrams and descriptions
How much time passes between one high tide and the next?
Twelve hours and 25 minutes, or one half of a lunar day.
A lunar day is the time it takes for a spot on Earth directly beneath the moon to rotate once until the moon until the moon is overhead again.
How much time passes between low tide and the next high tide?
A quarter of a lunar day, or 6 hours and 12.5 minutes.
Explain how spring and neap tides are created.
The tides are made by the pull of the sun and moon. When they are aligned, their gravitational pulls reinforce one another, and create huge tidal bulges, called spring tides. When they are at 90 degrees from each other, their pulls work against each other by pulling in different directions, and they create smaller tides, called neap tides.
How many spring and neap tides occur each month? Why?
Twice a month for each. This is because since the moon goes around the Earth once a month and is thus aligned with or perpendicular to the sun four times, with one of each.
Why does the distance from the earth to the moon or the sun affect the tides?
The closer the sun or moon is to the earth, the stronger their gravitational pull is. A greater gravitational pull creates bigger tides.
When will lunar tides be higher, at perigee or apogee? How often does each occur?
They will be higher at perigee, where the moon is closest to Earth, and lower at apogee, where it is farthest from Earth. Both of these happen once a month.
When will solar tides be higher, at perihelion or aphelion? How often does each occur?
They will be higher at perihelion, where the sun is closest to the Earth, and lower at aphelion, where the sun is farthest from Earth. Both of these happen once a year.