The periodic rise and fall of sea level driven by the gravitational pull of the Moon and, to a lesser degree, the Sun, acting on the Earth's oceans as the planet rotates. Tidal action shapes coastal ecosystems, drives strong currents through narrow channels and straits, and, over geological time, contributes to coastal erosion and sediment transport in the intertidal zone.
Facts
Partially Attested
First Proposed Year1687 is the year Newton's gravitational explanation of the tides was published in the Principia; the same article calls Newton the first person to explain tides as the product of gravitational attraction. Process Type TimescaleAbout 12 hours and 25.2 minutes, half a tidal lunar day 1 Connections
Causes
Source Tidal Bore Formation (Wikipedia)
Sources
1. Tide, Wikipedia
Lead paragraph, first sentence
Tides are the periodic rise and fall of sea level resulting from the differential gravitational forces exerted primarily by the Moon and the Sun
Paragraph on the tidal period, sentence beginning Its period
Its period is about 12 hours and 25.2 minutes, exactly half a tidal lunar day, which is the average time separating one lunar zenith from the next.
History paragraph on Isaac Newton's explanation of the tides
His explanation of the tides (and many other phenomena) was published in the Principia (1687).
View the SourceTidal Bore Formation (Wikipedia)
Reader Challenges (0)
No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.
Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.