Re: Tides and tidal bulge

[Jim Green <Jim.Green@Snow.edu>]

At 07:44 PM 7/1/96 -0400, you wrote:
> James McLean wrote:
> > Anyhow, the calendar for the San Diego area shows approximately 2 high
> > tides per day, as expected.  However, on closer inspection, the time of 

James, almost surely there are not two tides per day *every* day -- I can
plot the SanDiego tides and see if incouraged.  The tides will look like a
beat pattern -- because that is what is occuring. (:-)

Further, almost never is the Moon's zenith in coincidence with high tide. 

And neither is the spring tide in coincidence with New/Full Moon.

Even though the force on the ocean due to the Moon exceeds by far the force
on the ocean due to the Sun, the Moon's force need NOT predominate the
tides.  Any periodic force can predominate as long as it is at the resonance
frequency of the resonant body.  

Further if one wants to beleive in tidal bulges, the comparison force would
be the NET force due to the Sun/Moon/(and maybe Jupiter) combination. THAT
force will have no synchronization with the tides.



Jim.Green@Snow.edu                             

It has never been detemined if the 
early bird enjoys the worm as much 
as the late bird enjoys the extra sleep