Jim Green said: ... NOAA.... takes the tidal data/time then does a
Fourier-like transform of their own devising and THEN identifies the source
of the applied force from the associated frequency. As I recall they come
up with some 72 frequencies. In the process, they form predictive tables.
My first reaction to this is "Wow, that's beautiful."
So far in this thread, the discussion has been mostly theoretical with some
amount of empirical confirmation or tweaking. I believe this could be
called either semi-empirical or semi-theoretical.
Taking lots of tidal data and doing Fourier analysis is taking totally
empirical data and analyzing it in a neat way that seems to provide a pretty
good empirical prediction of future tidal data.
The fact that the associated Fourier frequencies can then be compared to
astronomical orbital frequencies seems a bit of serendipity combined with a
dose of "duh, what did you expect?"
Michael D. Edmiston, Ph.D. Phone/voice-mail: 419-358-3270
Professor of Chemistry & Physics FAX: 419-358-3323
Chairman, Science Department E-Mail edmiston@bluffton.edu
Bluffton College
280 West College Avenue
Bluffton, OH 45817