Could someone explain scientificaly what happens during " low and high tides" ?

Question

Where does the volume of water go when the level gets low in one particular body of water, and what is the basis for estimating the lenght of time when the water comes back to that body of water, untill it returns almost near to its former level (highest ). What causes very low tide and very high tide incidents. Are there material losses between changes of events ? Thank you.

Answer 1

Both the sun and the moon have a gravitations force which they exert upon the earth. This is what keeps the earth in orbit around the sun and the moon in orbit around the earth. These forces cause attraction of one body upon the other. In most cases, where the surface is solid, the effect gives little noticeable result. However, over the oceans, which are more mobile, the effect is to "gather up" a body of water as the attracting body is overhead. Of course, this water has to come from somewhere and so gives low tide on some seashore. As the body of water moves under the influence of the heavenly body, so it reaches a shore where high tide can be experienced.

Both the sun and the moon have influence, but as the sun is much further away, its influence is less than that of the moon. Thus, the main tidal effect is moon-controlled. However, the sun does have an effect and when it is to aid the moon, then extra high tides are the result (spring tides). When the effect of the sun opposes that of the moon, then we have lower tidal levels (neap tides).

This effect is most noticeable where the body of water involved is large, for example the Pacific ocean, and much smaller where the body of water is small, for example the Mediterranean. This is why tidal effects on lakes is imperceptible. This might be a bit over-simplified, but I hope that it helps.

Answer 2

Put simply:

> Where does the volume of water go

To other parts of the world. When it's high tide in some parts of the world it's low tide in others, and visa-versa.

> what is the basis for estimating the lenght of time

It depends where in the world you are. Some places get 1 low and high tide a day, some get 2.

> What causes very low tide and very high tide incidents.

Quite a few things actually....the moon, the sun (about half as strong as the moon), the shape of the local shoreline and ocean floor all have an effect on tides.

In short, tides are a lot more complex than many people realize. The Wikipedia link below contains a lot of information about the subject which will tell you all you want to know, and probably a lot you don't :)

Answer 3

http://curious.astro.cornell.edu/question.php?number=143 this is not too wordy and will answer your question including links that you may have questions on, now or in the future. I hope this helps.