Re: Tides and tidal bulge

[jmclean@chem.ucsd.edu (James Mclean)]

Bowman_David/tiger_mpc@tiger.gtc.georgetown.ky.us says:
> 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 the
> > high tides *does not* coincide with when the moon is at zenith.  In fact, I
> > found 2 days for which the tides were almost identical, one on a new moon
> > and one on a full moon!
> Jim, this is to be expected.  The tidal stresses are due to the *gradient* of
> the gravitational field--NOT the field itself--in the vicinity of the earth
> due to the other heavenly bodies.  Since nearly all of this is due to the sun
> ....

Ooops, of course.  I'll have to go look again and comare full-moon to
half-moon days.

-- 
--James McLean
jmclean@chem.ucsd.edu
post doc
UCSD