why was high tide extra high
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
If you look at the tide charts, you'll see that October has the most extreme tide levels out of any other month. Anyone want to take a guess why?
I'll give you a hint... it has nothing to do with storm surges or weather patterns. As a matter of fact, it has nothing to do with anything "Earthly"...
I'll give you a hint... it has nothing to do with storm surges or weather patterns. As a matter of fact, it has nothing to do with anything "Earthly"...
i can't put it into words but this link helps explain why...
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/tides.html
http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr161/lect/time/tides.html
All correct, but here are the little details...
Twice a year, just after the Spring and FallEquinox(the days when daylight and night become equal in length), the Moon and Earth happen to also be closest in distance.
Usually, during the rest of the year, the gravitational pull of the Sun has only about half the effect on our tides as the pull of the moon. However, with the moon being closer to us than usual, it's gravity has a greater than usual effect on the height of our tides. Some years the effect is more noticeable than others (especially when the new & full moons coincide with the high tides. A solar eclipse on the exact date that the moon and earth are closest in distance would produce the greatest astronomical effect on the height of our tides.
The effects of our closer distance to the moon carry with us right through the months of October and March each year. These will always have traditionally the highest tides of the year. In Australia, they call these tides King Tides. THis is the time to keep the SUV home during high-tide if you want to keep her saltwater free (especially if an offshore tropical storm or East winds are adding a little surge effect.
Twice a year, just after the Spring and FallEquinox(the days when daylight and night become equal in length), the Moon and Earth happen to also be closest in distance.
Usually, during the rest of the year, the gravitational pull of the Sun has only about half the effect on our tides as the pull of the moon. However, with the moon being closer to us than usual, it's gravity has a greater than usual effect on the height of our tides. Some years the effect is more noticeable than others (especially when the new & full moons coincide with the high tides. A solar eclipse on the exact date that the moon and earth are closest in distance would produce the greatest astronomical effect on the height of our tides.
The effects of our closer distance to the moon carry with us right through the months of October and March each year. These will always have traditionally the highest tides of the year. In Australia, they call these tides King Tides. THis is the time to keep the SUV home during high-tide if you want to keep her saltwater free (especially if an offshore tropical storm or East winds are adding a little surge effect.
Joined
·
1,409 Posts
the main reason is the relentless east winds that have been blowing around LI. PERIOD ! They tend to stack water up in the south shore bays and long island sound. any other reason was a secondary factor, IMHO. Nor'easters wreck havoc for the same reason, they don't let the tide go out.
quote:
The main reason is the relentless east winds that have been blowing around LI. PERIOD ! They tend to stack water up in the south shore bays and long island sound. any other reason was a secondary factor, IMHO.
The only problem with that theory is that the intense winds we just had this weekend started as SOUTHWEST, then WEST, then NORTHWEST for most of the weekend. I don't deny that East and NorthEast winds can stack water. But if you run the tide programs for the entire year (such as the tide program that is free right here on this website) you'll see that the predictions for depth above mean low are all estimated to be higher during this time period.
The main reason is the relentless east winds that have been blowing around LI. PERIOD ! They tend to stack water up in the south shore bays and long island sound. any other reason was a secondary factor, IMHO.
The only problem with that theory is that the intense winds we just had this weekend started as SOUTHWEST, then WEST, then NORTHWEST for most of the weekend. I don't deny that East and NorthEast winds can stack water. But if you run the tide programs for the entire year (such as the tide program that is free right here on this website) you'll see that the predictions for depth above mean low are all estimated to be higher during this time period.
huh?
doctorfish wrote:quote:
All correct, but here are the little details...
Twice a year, just after the Spring and FallEquinox(the days when daylight and night become equal in length), the Moon and Earth happen to also be closest in distance.
Usually, during the rest of the year, the gravitational pull of the Sun has only about half the effect on our tides as the pull of the moon. However, with the moon being closer to us than usual, it's gravity has a greater than usual effect on the height of our tides. Some years the effect is more noticeable than others (especially when the new & full moons coincide with the high tides. A solar eclipse on the exact date that the moon and earth are closest in distance would produce the greatest astronomical effect on the height of our tides.
The effects of our closer distance to the moonn carry with us right through the months of October and March each year.
doctorfish, i don't know how you came up with that, but here is what is wrong with your theory:
during the spring and fall equinox the earth is NOT at it's closest distance to the sun.
the earth is nearest to the sun (91.5 million miles) on january 3rd. scientists call this "perihelion".
the earth is farthest (94.5 million miles) from the sun on july 4th. scientists call this "aphelion".
the autumnal equinox occurs on september 22nd.
the vernal (spring) equinox occurs on march 22nd.
the sun lies directly overhead at noon at the equator, and the days and nights are of equal length throughout the world, at the autumnal and vernal equinoxes.
the changes in our seasons are caused by the angle (23.5 degrees) of the earth's axis to the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun, and the resultant shifting angles at which the sun's rays strike the earth's surfaces as the orbit progresses throughout the year.
spring tides are the highest high tides.
they occur TWICE MONTHLY at the full and new moons (when the earth and the sun and moon are in alignment).
neap tides are the lowest low tides. they occur TWICE MONTHLY at the quarter moons (when the sun and moon are perpendicular).
the distance the moon is from the earth varies during it's orbit around the earth. TWICE MONTHLY the moon is closest to earth. scientists call this perigee.
TWICE YEARLY, the moon is in perigee during periods of spring tides. that results in the most extreme, astronomical spring tides.
this phenomena, the moon in perigee during the spring tide of a new moon, occured on october 6, 2002.
that said, i believe the recent extreme high and low tides we have observed are largely the result of passing high and low pressure weather systems at periods of spring tideswith the moon in perigee.
hope this helps.
doctorfish wrote:quote:
All correct, but here are the little details...
Twice a year, just after the Spring and FallEquinox(the days when daylight and night become equal in length), the Moon and Earth happen to also be closest in distance.
Usually, during the rest of the year, the gravitational pull of the Sun has only about half the effect on our tides as the pull of the moon. However, with the moon being closer to us than usual, it's gravity has a greater than usual effect on the height of our tides. Some years the effect is more noticeable than others (especially when the new & full moons coincide with the high tides. A solar eclipse on the exact date that the moon and earth are closest in distance would produce the greatest astronomical effect on the height of our tides.
The effects of our closer distance to the moonn carry with us right through the months of October and March each year.
doctorfish, i don't know how you came up with that, but here is what is wrong with your theory:
during the spring and fall equinox the earth is NOT at it's closest distance to the sun.
the earth is nearest to the sun (91.5 million miles) on january 3rd. scientists call this "perihelion".
the earth is farthest (94.5 million miles) from the sun on july 4th. scientists call this "aphelion".
the autumnal equinox occurs on september 22nd.
the vernal (spring) equinox occurs on march 22nd.
the sun lies directly overhead at noon at the equator, and the days and nights are of equal length throughout the world, at the autumnal and vernal equinoxes.
the changes in our seasons are caused by the angle (23.5 degrees) of the earth's axis to the plane of the earth's orbit around the sun, and the resultant shifting angles at which the sun's rays strike the earth's surfaces as the orbit progresses throughout the year.
spring tides are the highest high tides.
they occur TWICE MONTHLY at the full and new moons (when the earth and the sun and moon are in alignment).
neap tides are the lowest low tides. they occur TWICE MONTHLY at the quarter moons (when the sun and moon are perpendicular).
the distance the moon is from the earth varies during it's orbit around the earth. TWICE MONTHLY the moon is closest to earth. scientists call this perigee.
TWICE YEARLY, the moon is in perigee during periods of spring tides. that results in the most extreme, astronomical spring tides.
this phenomena, the moon in perigee during the spring tide of a new moon, occured on october 6, 2002.
that said, i believe the recent extreme high and low tides we have observed are largely the result of passing high and low pressure weather systems at periods of spring tideswith the moon in perigee.
hope this helps.
Opinari, thank you for adding the specifics.
Megalodon, not sure what the problem is. It's not my theory. I didn't put the stars, moons & planets in space and tell them how to act.
Scratcher, I missed your post. Yes, Syzygy with the moon at its closest distance to us!
Everyone, take a look at this tide warning...
Highest Tides of Year This Week
Opinari sums it up with this quote...quote:
TWICE YEARLY, the moon is in perigee during periods of spring tides. that results in the most extreme astronomical spring tides.
this phenomena, the moon in perigee during the spring tide of a new moon, occured on october 6, 2002.
Megalodon, not sure what the problem is. It's not my theory. I didn't put the stars, moons & planets in space and tell them how to act.
Scratcher, I missed your post. Yes, Syzygy with the moon at its closest distance to us!
Everyone, take a look at this tide warning...
Highest Tides of Year This Week
Opinari sums it up with this quote...quote:
TWICE YEARLY, the moon is in perigee during periods of spring tides. that results in the most extreme astronomical spring tides.
this phenomena, the moon in perigee during the spring tide of a new moon, occured on october 6, 2002.
Knew I read it somewhere, and was able to dig it up. Syssy what???
From: The New York Times, page A46, Sunday, October 6, 2002
The sky at 8:30 p.m. Twice each month, the sun, earth and moon form a straight (or nearly straight) line in space, called a syzygy. At these times, the moon is either at full or new phase, and tides can be expected to run somewhat higher than normal (hence the term spirng tide, to spring up). Twice each year, once at the full phase and once at the new phase the moon will also be very near its closest point the earth, its perigee. These moons, known as Proxigean moons, can produce the highest tides of the year. But while these events occure annually, a Proxigean moon that coincides with the time the moon is passing over the earth’s equator is rare. In fact, it happened only six times in the 20th century. Today, however, is one of those rare cases. Just before 3 a.m., the moon is to pass over the equator; new moon occurs at 7:18 a.m. and perigee comes less than two hours later, at 9 a.m. As a result of this lunar geometry, tides will be experiencing a far larger than normal range over the next few days: low tides will be much, lower and high tides much higher than usual.
Compiled by Joe Rao, a lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium.
From: The New York Times, page A46, Sunday, October 6, 2002
The sky at 8:30 p.m. Twice each month, the sun, earth and moon form a straight (or nearly straight) line in space, called a syzygy. At these times, the moon is either at full or new phase, and tides can be expected to run somewhat higher than normal (hence the term spirng tide, to spring up). Twice each year, once at the full phase and once at the new phase the moon will also be very near its closest point the earth, its perigee. These moons, known as Proxigean moons, can produce the highest tides of the year. But while these events occure annually, a Proxigean moon that coincides with the time the moon is passing over the earth’s equator is rare. In fact, it happened only six times in the 20th century. Today, however, is one of those rare cases. Just before 3 a.m., the moon is to pass over the equator; new moon occurs at 7:18 a.m. and perigee comes less than two hours later, at 9 a.m. As a result of this lunar geometry, tides will be experiencing a far larger than normal range over the next few days: low tides will be much, lower and high tides much higher than usual.
Compiled by Joe Rao, a lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium.
doctorfish,
when you went back and and changed your post that i quoted, did the quote inside my post automatically change?
or did you have to use your secret powers as a moderator to go into my post and change the quotation of your original post?
just curious, kind of reminds me of something captain kirk did on star trek.
when you went back and and changed your post that i quoted, did the quote inside my post automatically change?
or did you have to use your secret powers as a moderator to go into my post and change the quotation of your original post?
just curious, kind of reminds me of something captain kirk did on star trek.
1 - 17 of 17 Posts
