Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces

exerted by the Moon and the Sun and the rotation of the Earth.
Some shorelines experience two almost equal high tides and two low tides each day, called asemi-
diurnal tide. Some locations experience only one high and one low tide each day, called adiurnal tide.
Some locations experience two uneven tides a day, or sometimes one high and one low each day;
this is called a mixed tide. The times and amplitude of the tides at a locale are influenced by the
alignment of the Sun and Moon, by the pattern of tides in the deep ocean, by
the amphidromic systems of the oceans, and by the shape of the coastline and near-
shorebathymetry (see Timing).
[1][2][3]

Tides vary on timescales ranging from hours to years due to numerous influences. To make accurate
records, tide gauges at fixed stations measure the water level over time. Gauges ignore variations
caused by waves with periods shorter than minutes. These data are compared to the reference (or
datum) level usually called mean sea level.
[4]

While tides are usually the largest source of short-term sea-level fluctuations, sea levels are also
subject to forces such as wind and barometric pressure changes, resulting in storm surges, especially
in shallow seas and near coasts.
Tidal phenomena are not limited to the oceans, but can occur in other systems whenever a
gravitational field that varies in time and space is present. For example, the solid part of the Earth is
affected by tides, though this is not as easily seen as the water tidal movements.



High tide, Alma, New Brunswick in the Bay of Fundy

Low tide at the same fishing port in Bay of Fundy


Schematic of the lunar portion of earth's tides showing (exaggerated) high tides at the sublunar
and antipodal points for the hypothetical case of an ocean of constant depth with no land. There would also
be smaller, superimposed bulges on the sides facing toward and away from the sun.


In Maine (U.S.) low tide occurs roughly at moonrise and high tide with a high moon, corresponding to the
simple gravity model of two tidal bulges; at most places however, moon and tides have a phase shift.









The types of tides
The types of tides
Tides schematic. Due to the bathymetry of some areas, neap and spring tides
reach their maximum force 2 days after the first quarter moon, third quarter moon
and new moon, full moon, respectively. In the absence of complications due to
bathymetry, spring tides are exactly at the full and new moons and neap tides are
exactly at the one-quarter and three-quarter moon. Every six hours the water also
lowers or heightens; as such four tides are created: Low water spring tide High
water spring tide Low water neap tide High water neap tide










Ocean in Motion: Tides -
Characteristics
When the Moon, Earth,
and Sun fall in a straight
line, which we
call syzygy (siz-eh-gee),
we notice the greatest
difference between high
and low tide water
levels. These spring
tides occur twice each
month, during the full
and new Moon. If the
Moon is at perigee, the
closest it approaches
Earth in its orbit, the
tides are especially high
and low.
When the Sun and Moon
form a right angle, as
when we see a half
moon, their pulls fight
each other and we notice
a smaller difference
between high and low
tides. These are
called neap tides.
Factors such as the path
the Moon takes around
the Earth, our planet's
tilt, even the water's
depth, and the ocean
floor affect tides.
Therefore, not all coasts
experience two high and
two low tides each day.
Semi-diurnal tides occur
twice a day. This means
a body of water with
semi-diurnal tides, like
the Atlantic Ocean, will
have two high tides and
two low tides in one
day. Diurnal tides occur
once a day. A body of
water with diurnal tides,
like the Gulf of Mexico,
has only one high tide
and one low tide in a 25-
hour period. Some
bodies of water,
including parts of the
Pacific Basin,
have mixed tides, where
a single low tide follows
two high tides.

The difference in the height of the water surface between the high and low
tides is the tidal range. Tidal ranges can be measured in inches, like those in
Lake Superior, Michigan, or in feet or yards. In fact, the Bay of Fundy, a
V-shaped Canadian inlet in Nova Scotia, has the greatest tidal range
known--up to 50 feet! In areas with large tidal ranges, boats anchored at
high tide are often left stranded on the dry beach at low tide.
As the sea level rises and falls, it generates a tidal current that flows
horizontally. Tidal currents caused by the dropping water level (as the tide
"goes out") are called ebb currents. The rising tide generates flood currents.
Tidal currents are especially strong where the ocean is connected to
an estuary or bay, and boats sometimes have to wait for a current in to
enter or leave a harbor.
VVVV








PLANET FACTS
There are 8 planets in our solar system, they
are Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus andNeptune. With the exception of
Neptune and Uranus the other 6 planets can be seen unaided and all 8 are visible with a small
telescope or binoculars.
What Is A Planet?
Planets are among the many worlds and smaller objects that orbit the Sun. The formal definition
of planet, as voted on by the International Astronomical Union in 2006, is as follows:
A planet is a celestial body that
(a) is in orbit around the Sun,
(b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a
hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and
(c) has cleared the neighbourhood around its orbit.
Under this definition, Pluto is NOT a planet, but has been deemed a dwarf planet because it has
not yet cleared its orbit. This definition is under discussion, particularly by members of the
planetary science community, and it may yet be further refined.
Order Of The Planets

The order of the planets from closest to the Sun outwards is; Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus and finally Neptune. The largest planet in the solar system is Jupiter,
followed by Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Earth, Venus, Mars with the smallest being Mercury.
Terrestrial Planets (Inner Planets)
The Terrestrial, or rocky planets in our solar system orbit relatively close to the Sun. There are
four terrestrial planets: Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. They are made mostly of silicate rocks
and metals, have solid surfaces, with atmospheres that range from very thick (on Venus) to very
thin (on Mercury).
Of the four terrestrial planets, Earth and Mars are considered the most hospitable to life. Earth, of
course, has life. Mars may have had life in the past, and it may exist there today. Conditions on
Venus and Mercury are too extreme to have habitats that could nurture life.
Gas Giants (Outer Planets)
Gas giants are large planets that contain more than 10 times the mass of Earth. Their
compositions are mostly gases, such as hydrogen, and small amounts of rocky material (mostly
at their cores). The four gas giants in our solar system are Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune.
ICE GIANTS
An ice giant planet is one that is at least ten times the mass of Earth, and contains a higher
percentage of what planetary scientists refer to as ices. These are volatile elements heavier
than hydrogen and helium, and were in ice form (mainly water) when the planets first formed. In
our solar system, Uranus and Neptune are often referred to as ice giants due to the higher
amounts of such volatile they contain. Astronomers have also determined that some exoplanets
could be ice giants, as well.
RING SYSTEMS
A ring system around a planet or asteroid is a disk made up of dust, chunks of material (ice, in
the outer solar system), and small moons. This material forms a ring (or rings) around its parent
body. The largest ring system in the solar system is the one around Saturn. Jupiter, Uranus and
Neptune also have rings, and at least one asteroid is known to have a small ring as well.






1. Planet
2. A planet is an astronomical object orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be
rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its
neighbouring region of planetesimals.