Re: double tide cause

[brian whatcott <inet@INTELLISYS.NET>]

At 10:12 9/3/01 -0600, Jim wrote:
> > You would expect the tides to be somewhat attenuated, because the Gulf is
> > fairly small, and connected to the open ocean only by rather narrow straits.
>
> Yes, conceivably, but these are subordinate questions: First ask how close
> does the resonant frequency of the body of water match one of the many
> driving frequencies of the forces due to the Moon, Sun, and possibly
> Jupiter in some cases.  True the net force due to Jupiter is much smaller
> than those due to the Moon or Sun, but it is the frequency match that
> matters most.
>
> Here a physics text IS helpful -- Look at the equation for a driven damped
> harmonic oscillator.    That is what the tides on the Gulf (or anywhere
> else) are.
>
>
>
> Jim Green


Let's see: Jim attributes the REDUCTION of tide amplitude
in the Gulf to the behavior of a driven oscillator?

But he notes that even small tidal drivers like Jupiter
can provide large effects in a resonant manner.

So is he thinking of tuned damping, or tuned amplification?
I'm not quite sure which he has in mind for the Gulf....


brian whatcott <inet@intellisys.net>  Altus OK
                Eureka!