Incorporating Oceanography into Classroom Inquiry Ocean Tides Maury Presentation Presenter: Rachel Eddington

Why bother studying the oceans, specifically tides? Impact on local navigation, coastal structures, legal boundaries, fishery and recreation. Tides are a potential energy source.

Connecting it to the Standards… SCIENCE STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate questions, conduct experiments and solve problems. STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life, physical and earth/space sciences. STATE GOAL 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and contemporary contexts.

Connecting it to the Standards… MATH STATE GOAL 7: Estimate, make and use measurements of objects, quantities and relationships and determine acceptable levels of accuracy. STATE GOAL 8: Use algebraic and analytical methods to identify and describe patterns and relationships in data, solve problems and predict results. STATE GOAL 10: Collect, organize and analyze data using statistical methods; predict results; and interpret uncertainty using concepts of probability.

Connecting it to the Standards… English Language Arts STATE GOAL 1: Read with understanding and fluency. STATE GOAL 2: Read and understand literature representative of various societies, eras and ideas. STATE GOAL 3: Write to communicate for a variety of purposes. STATE GOAL 5: Use the language arts to acquire, assess and communicate information.

Connecting it to the Standards… Social Science STATE GOAL 17: Understand world geography and the effects of geography on society, with an emphasis on the United States. STATE GOAL 15: Understand economic systems, with an emphasis on the United States. STATE GOAL 18: Understand social systems, with an emphasis on the United States.

Background Information American Meteorological Society’s Maury Project The Naval Academy Annapolis, MD Goal: To create and train a network of selected master teachers who provide peer training sessions in pre-college physical oceanographic education.

Ocean Tides Tides develop from the gravitational interaction and motion of the Sun, Moon and the Earth acting on the ocean waters. Tides are modified by many non-astronomical influences including water depth, bottom topography, coastline configuration and the weather. Local tides can be predicted with a high degree of accuracy from detailed analysis of the long-term local tide record.

Role of the Moon Although the mass is much smaller than that of the sun, the moon has a great influence on the tides because it is much closer the the Earth. The Earth and moon revolve around a common center of mass once each lunar month. This turning motion, combined with the moon’s gravitational attraction, causes an egg-shaped bulging of the ocean’s surface.

Role of the Moon

Role of the Moon Semidiurnal Tide: When the moon is directly over the equator, its associated tidal bulges are centered on the equator. In theory, almost all coastal locations would rotate through the two tidal bulges and experience two equal high tides and two equal low tides per tidal day. Diurnal Tide: When the moon and associated tidal bulges are either north or south of the equator, most points would experience one high tide and one low tide per tidal day.

Role of the Sun The sun produces ocean tidal effects that are about 45% of those related to the moon. The sun and Earth produces a similar but smaller set of tidal bulges aligned with the sun.

Role of the Sun Spring Tides: Twice monthly, the positions of the sun, moon and earth are along a straight line. The bulges also line up to produce tides having the greatest monthly range. Neap Tides: Twice monthly, the sun is pulling on the Earth along a line that is at a right angle to the pull of the moon. This is the time the tides have the least monthly range.

Answers 1 equator 3 no tides 4 two 6 2/2 7 semi-diurnal 8 one half 9 maximum/decreases 10 the same as 12 diurnal, mixed, semi-diurnal

Contact Information Rachel Eddington raeddington@cps.edu American Meteorological Society http://www.ametsoc.org/ Maury Project http://www.ametsoc.org/amsedu/MauryFrames.html