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Theory of tides

The theory of tides is the application of continuum mechanics to interpret and predict the tidal deformations of planetary and satellite bodies and their atmospheres and oceans, under the gravitational loading of another astronomical body or bodies. It commonly refers to the fluid dynamic motions for the Earth's oceans.

Additional recommended knowledge

Recognize and detect the effects of electrostatic charges on your balance

Daily Sensitivity Test

Guide to balance cleaning: 8 simple steps

1 Tidal physics
- 1.1 Tidal forcing
- 1.2 Laplace tidal equations
2 Tidal analysis and prediction
- 2.1 Harmonic analysis
- 2.2 Tidal constituents

Tidal physics

Tidal forcing

The forces discussed here apply to body (Earth tides), oceanic and atmospheric tides. Atmospheric tides on Earth, however, tend to be dominated by forcing due to solar heating.

On the planet (or satellite) experiencing tidal motion consider a point at latitude $φ$ and longitude $λ$ at distance $a$ from the center of mass, then point can written in cartesian coordinates as $\mathbf{p} = a\mathbf{x}$ where

$\mathbf{x} = (\cos \lambda \cos \phi, \sin \lambda \cos \phi, \sin \phi).$

Let $δ$ be the declination and $α$ be the right ascension of the deforming body, the Moon for example, then the vector direction is

$\mathbf{x}_m = (\cos \alpha \cos \delta, \sin \alpha \cos \delta, \sin \delta),$

and $r m$ be the orbital distance between the center of masses and $M m$ the mass of the body. Then the force on the point is

$\mathbf{F}_{a}= \frac{G M_m (r_m\mathbf{x}_{m}-a\mathbf{x})}{R^3}.$

where $R = \|r_m\mathbf{x}_{m}-a\mathbf{x}\|$ For a circular orbit the angular momentum $ω$ centripetal acceleration balances gravity at the planetary center of mass

$Mr_{cm}\omega^2= \frac{G M M_m }{r_m^2}.$

where $r c m$ is the distance between the center of mass for the orbit and planet and $M$ is the planetary mass. Consider the point in the reference fixed without rotation, but translating at a fixed translation with respect to the center of mass of the planet. The body's centripetal force acts on the point so that the total force is

$\mathbf{F}_p= \frac{G M_m (r_m\mathbf{x}_{m}-a\mathbf{x})}{R^3} -r_{cm}\omega^2\mathbf{x}_m.$

Substituting for center of mass acceleration, and reordering

$\mathbf{F}_p = G M_m r_m \left( \frac {1}{R^3} - \frac {1}{r_m^3} \right) \mathbf{x}_m -\frac{ ( G M_m a\mathbf{x})}{R^3}.$

In ocean tidal forcing, the radial force is not significant, the next step is to rewrite the $\mathbf{x}_m$ coefficient. Let $\varepsilon= a / r_m$ then

$R = r_m \sqrt{ 1+ \varepsilon ^2-2 \varepsilon ( \mathbf{x}_m,\mathbf{x} ) }$

where $( \mathbf{x}_m,\mathbf{x} )= \cos z$ is the inner product determining the angle z of the deforming body or Moon from the zenith. This means that

$\left( \frac {1}{R^3} - \frac {1}{r_m^3} \right) \approx - \frac{3\varepsilon \cos z }{r_m^3},$

if ε is small. If particle is on the surface of the planet then the local gravity is $g=\frac{ G M}{a^2}$ and set $μ = M a / M$ .

$\mathbf{F}_p = g \mu \varepsilon^3 \cos z \mathbf{x}_m \frac{ ( g \mu a^3\mathbf{x})}{R^3} + O(\varepsilon^4),$

which is a small fraction of $g$ . Note also that force is attractive toward the Moon when the $z < π / 2$ and repulsive when $z > π / 2$ .

This can also be used to derive a tidal potential.

Laplace tidal equations

Main article: Laplace's tidal equations

Laplace summarized the work to his time with a single set of linear partial differential equations simplified from the fluid dynamic equations, but can also be derived via Lagranges equation from energy integrals. It summarizes tidal flow as a barotropic two-dimensional sheet flow, where Coriolis effects are introduced a fictious lateral force.

Thomson rewote Laplace's momentum terms using the curl to find an equation for vorticity. Under certain conditions this can be further rewritten as a conservation of vorticity.

Tidal analysis and prediction

Harmonic analysis

There are about 62 constituents that could be used, but many less are needed to predict tides accurately.

Tidal constituents

Higher harmonics	Darwin	Period	Phase	Doodson coefs				Doodson	Amplitude (cm)						NOAA
Species	Symbol	(hr)	rate(°/hr)	n₁ (L)	n₂ (m)	n₃ (y)	n₄ (mp)	number	ME	MS	PR	AK	CA	HI	order
Shallow water overtides of principal lunar	M₄	6.210300601	57.9682084	4				455.555	6.0	0.6		0.9	2.3		5
Shallow water overtides of principal lunar	M₆	4.140200401	86.9523127	6				655.555	5.1	0.1		1.0			7
Shallow water terdiurnal	MK₃	8.177140247	44.0251729	3	1			365.555				0.5	1.9		8
Shallow water overtides of principal solar	S₄	6	60	4	4	-4		491.555		0.1					9
Shallow water quarter diurnal	MN₄	6.269173724	57.4238337	4	-1		1	445.655	2.3			0.3	0.9		10
Shallow water overtides of principal solar	S₆	4	90	6	6	-6		*		0.1					12
Lunar terdiurnal	M₃	8.280400802	43.4761563	3				355.555					0.5		32
Shallow water terdiurnal	2"MK₃	8.38630265	42.9271398	3	-1			345.555	0.5			0.5	1.4		34
Shallow water eighth diurnal	M₈	3.105150301	115.9364166	8				855.555	0.5	0.1					36
Shallow water quarter diurnal	MS₄	6.103339275	58.9841042	4	2	-2		473.555	1.8			0.6	1.0		37
Semi-diurnal	Darwin	Period	Phase	Doodson coefs				Doodson	Amplitude (cm)						NOAA
Species	Symbol	(hr)	(°/hr)	n₁ (L)	n₂ (m)	n₃ (y)	n₄ (mp)	number	ME	MS	PR	AK	CA	HI	order
Principal lunar semidiurnal	M₂	12.4206012	28.9841042	2				255.555	268.7	3.9	15.9	97.3	58.0	23.0	1
Principal solar semidiurnal	S₂	12	30	2	2	-2		273.555	42.0	3.3	2.1	32.5	13.7	9.2	2
Larger lunar elliptic semidiurnal	N₂	12.65834751	28.4397295	2	-1		1	245.655	54.3	1.1	3.7	20.1	12.3	4.4	3
Larger lunar evectional	ν₂	12.62600509	28.5125831	2	-1	2	-1	247.455	12.6	0.2	0.8	3.9	2.6	0.9	11
Variational	MU₂	12.8717576	27.9682084	2	-2	2		237.555	2.0	0.1	0.5	2.2	0.7	0.8	13
Lunar elliptical semidiurnal second-order	2"N₂	12.90537297	27.8953548	2	-2		2	235.755	6.5	0.1	0.5	2.4	1.4	0.6	14
Smaller lunar evectional	λ₂	12.22177348	29.4556253	2	1	-2	1	263.655	5.3		0.1	0.7	0.6	0.2	16
Larger solar elliptic	T₂	12.01644934	29.9589333	2	2	-3		272.555	3.7	0.2	0.1	1.9	0.9	0.6	27
Smaller solar elliptic	R₂	11.98359564	30.0410667	2	2	-1		274.555	0.9			0.2	0.1	0.1	28
Shallow water semidiurnal	2SM₂	11.60695157	31.0158958	2	4	-4		291.555	0.5						31
Smaller lunar elliptic semidiurnal	L₂	12.19162085	29.5284789	2	1		-1	265.455	13.5	0.1	0.5	2.4	1.6	0.5	33
Lunisolar semidiurnal	K₂	11.96723606	30.0821373	2	2			275.555	11.6	0.9	0.6	9.0	4.0	2.8	35
Diurnal	Darwin	Period	Phase	Doodson coefs				Doodson	Amplitude (cm)						NOAA
Species	Symbol	(hr)	(°/hr)	n₁ (L)	n₂ (m)	n₃ (y)	n₄ (mp)	number	ME	MS	PR	AK	CA	HI	order
Lunar diurnal	K₁	23.93447213	15.0410686	1	1			165.555	15.6	16.2	9.0	39.8	36.8	16.7	'4
Lunar diurnal	O₁	25.81933871	13.9430356	1	-1			145.555	11.9	16.9	7.7	25.9	23.0	9.2	6
Lunar diurnal	OO₁	22.30608083	16.1391017	1	3			185.555	0.5	0.7	0.4	1.2	1.1	0.7	15
Solar diurnal	S₁	24	15	1	1	-1		164.555	1.0		0.5	1.2	0.7	0.3	17
Smaller lunar elliptic diurnal	M₁	24.84120241	14.4920521	1				155.555	0.6	1.2	0.5	1.4	1.1	0.5	18
Smaller lunar elliptic diurnal	J₁	23.09848146	15.5854433	1	2		-1	175.455	0.9	1.3	0.6	2.3	1.9	1.1	19
Larger lunar evectional diurnal	ρ	26.72305326	13.4715145	1	-2	2	-1	137.455	0.3	0.6	0.3	0.9	0.9	0.3	25
Larger lunar elliptic diurnal	Q₁	26.868350	13.3986609	1	-2		1	135.655	2.0	3.3	1.4	4.7	4.0	1.6	26
Larger elliptic diurnal	2Q₁	28.00621204	12.8542862	1	-3		2	125.755	0.3	0.4	0.2	0.7	0.4	0.2	29
Solar diurnal	P₁	24.06588766	14.9589314	1	1	-2		163.555	5.2	5.4	2.9	12.6	11.6	5.1	30
Long period	Darwin	Period	Phase	Doodson coefs				Doodson	Amplitude (cm)						NOAA
Species	Symbol	(hr)	(°/hr)	n₁ (L)	n₂ (m)	n₃ (y)	n₄ (mp)	number	ME	MS	PR	AK	CA	HI	order
Lunar monthly	M_m	661.3111655	0.5443747	0	1		-1	65.455			0.7	1.9			20
Solar semiannual	S_sa	4383.076325	0.0821373	0		2		57.555	1.6		2.1	1.5	3.9		21
Solar annual	S_a	8766.15265	0.0410686	0		1		56.555			5.5	7.8	3.8	4.3	22
Lunisolar synodic fortnightly	M_sf	354.3670666	1.0158958	0	2	-2		73.555				1.5			23
Lunisolar fortnightly	M_f	327.8599387	1.0980331	0	2			75.555			1.4	2.0		0.7	24

Example amplitudes from Eastport, ME; Biloxi, MS; San Juan, PR; Kodiak, AK; San Francisco, CA; and Hilo HI;.

Categories: Continuum mechanics | Fluid dynamics | Fluid mechanics

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Theory_of_tides". A list of authors is available in Wikipedia.

Theory of tides

Additional recommended knowledge

Recognize and detect the effects of electrostatic charges on your balance

Daily Sensitivity Test

Guide to balance cleaning: 8 simple steps

Contents

Tidal physics

Tidal forcing

Laplace tidal equations

Tidal analysis and prediction

Harmonic analysis

Tidal constituents

Higher harmonics

Semi-diurnal

Diurnal

Long period

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