DEPARTMENT OF GEOINFORMATION

FACULTY OF GEOINFORMATION AND REAL ESTATE

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA

TIDAL THEORY
Prof. Sr Dr. Mohd Razali Mahmud

BASIC THEORY OF TIDE

Equilibrium Tidal Theory - ideal approach to understand
basic principles, assumes an earth covered with water
Assumptions:
1: entire Earth surface covered in water
2: infinitely deep basin (no shoaling)
3: tidal bulge fixed relative to the moon
Tides are caused by the difference in gravitational forces
resulting from the change of position of the sun and the
moon relative to points on earth
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

NEWTON : EQUILIBRIUM THEORY

Planets orbit the sun in balance between gravity and inertia:

(a) not moving, gravity pulls planet to sun
(b) if planet is moving inertia will maintain straight line
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

NEWTON : EQUILIBRIUM THEORY

Assumes the ocean conforms instantly to
the forces that affect the position of its
surface i.e. the oceans surface is always in
equilibrium (balance) with the forces acting
on it.

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

UNIVERSAL LAW OF GRAVITATION

Universal Law of Gravitation
F

= G m1 m2 / R 2

= universal gravitational
constant

m1, m2 = mass of bodies

R

= distance between centers

of mass of bodies

B & C = gravitational forces

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

NEWTONS LAW OF GRAVITATION

Newtons Law of Gravitation

f m
f
FG
G
ME
MM
r

1 FG =

GM E M M
r2

r2
the attractive force of the moon.
the earth gravity = 6.67x10-11N.m2.kg-2
the mass of the earth.
the mass of the moon.
distance of the moon and the earth.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

The moon produce the tidal force much larger then
the sun, the proportion is about 11: 5.
Three component of forces :

Centrifugal force

Gravitational attraction force

Tide generating force

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

B & C = centrifugal forces

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

A = gravitational forces
A= centrifugal forces
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

The Tide Producing Force (difference between gravitational forces

and centrifugal forces at the earth surface) is proportional to GM/R3
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

e1

d2
c1

d
C
c2 c
B

b1

b2
G

h2
h1

f2
g1

e2

d1

f1

g2

a1

A
Key

h
H
k2

i2
i1

b
a2

j2k1 j

Gravitational force

k
Centrifugal force

K
Tide generating force

j1

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

Newtons law of gravitation, the attractive gravitational
force between 2 objects :
GM M
FG = E2 M
r
The tide generating force at A (TPFA ) is:

TPFA = Fg Fc
Hence, TPFA = the tide generating force at A.
= the attractive gravitational force of the moon at A.
Fg
Fc
= the centrifugal force at A.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

Hence,

(a = the radius of the earth)

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

Hence,

(a is smallest then R)
hence,

ra r

(a = the radius of the earth)

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

The simplified formula is:

GME MM a(2r a)
TPFA =
r 2(r2 )

TPFA =

(a is smallest then R)
hence, 2r a

2r and

ra r

GM E M M a(2r)
r 2 (r 2 )
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

The tide generating force at A

TPFA =

TPFA =

GM E M M 2 ra
r4

2 aGME M M
r3

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

a
B

a cos

The tide generating force at A and P

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

The tide generating force at P, the
gravitational force of the moon is :

Fg =

GM E M M
( r a cos ) 2

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

The tide generating force at P point is:

TPFP =

GME M M

GME M M

( r a cos )2

r2

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDE GENERATING FORCE

New Moon Spring Tide
Earth

Moon

SUN
Gravitational pull

Moons orbit

1st Quarter Neap Tide

Moons orbit

Earth

SUN

Gravitational pull

Moon

Full Moon Spring Tide

Moons Orbit

Earth

SUN
Gravitational pull

Moon

3rd Quarter Neap Tide

Bulan

Bumi

SUN
Gravitational pull

Moons Orbit
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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SPRING & NEAP TIDES

Spring & Neap Tides

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

SPRING & NEAP TIDES

During the neap tide, gravity of

the moon and sun pull at right
angles to each other.
As a result, the high tides at this
period of time will be the
LOWEST high tides that occur
during the month. The moon is in
a quarter phase in this phenomena.

While on new moon phase (spring tide) the moon and sun are on
the same side of the earth. The high tides produced at this time will
be the HIGHEST that can occur during the month.
Meanwhile during full moon phase (spring tide). Notice that the
moon and sun are again in line with the earth. This arrangement will
produce high tides that are higher than the average high tide of the
month.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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SPRING & NEAP TIDES

The same effect occurs for the pull of the sun - the largest
tides are when moon and sun tug in the same direction. The
tides appear roughly twice a day because the earth rotates
under the fixed distortion imposed by sun and moon
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

SPRING & NEAP TIDES AT TWO PLACES ON EARTH

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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TIDAL REGIMES
Semi-diurnal tides = two high tides and
two low tides of nearly equal level each
lunar day
Diurnal tides = one high and one low tide
each lunar day
Mixed tides = when successive high or low
tides are significantly different in height

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

TIDAL REGIMES

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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SEMI-DIURNAL TIDE
 In most places, tides are semidiurnal (twice-daily), meaning
that there are two tidal cycles (with one high tide and one
low apiece) each day.
 In other words, during a typical day the tides reach their
highest point along the shore and their lowest point twice
each day.
 The high-water level reached during one of the high tide
stages is usually higher than the other high point, and the
low water level reached during one of the low tide stages is
usually lower than the other low tide point.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

SEMI-DIURNAL TIDE
The effect of that condition:
 There will be permanent high water on
the equator at point nearest to the moon
and 180o away.
 There will be permanent band of low
water joining the poles on the meridians
90o on either side .
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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DIURNAL TIDE
 Tides occur only once a day, with a single high tide and a
single low tide. Such tidal cycles are known as diurnal
(daily) tides.
 In both diurnal and semidiurnal settings, a rising tide is
termed as flood tide and a falling tide is termed an ebb
tide.
 The moment when the water reaches its highest point at
high tide (or its lowest point at low tide) is called the
slack tide, since the water level is then static, neither
rising nor falling, at least for a short time.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

DIURNAL TIDE
 Along the point in the same longitude, its
again high water, but this time the high water
is not as high as that point.
 The range is less, but the inequality of time is
greater.
 These inequalities of range and time interval
are known as diurnal inequalities.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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DIURNAL TIDE
N
A

G
F

E
K

MOON
20O N

D
J

EQUATOR

70
O

20





At point C is a maximum high water.

At point D is low water.
At point E is again high water, but this time a high water is not
as high as that at C.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

DIURNAL TIDE

 Point D will take longer for the tide to fall

than it does to rise (because D is nearer to E
than to C).
 Along the parallel FGH the same pattern of
unequal high tide and unequal interval
between high and low water.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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MIXED TIDE
 When heights of two successive high tides or two low
tides are markedly different, we have a mixed tide.
 Higher High Water Tide (HHW), Lower High
Water Tide (LHW), Higher Low Water Tide (HLW), &
Lower Low Water Tide (LLW).

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

DETERMINIG THE CHARACTER OF THE TIDE

In the analysis and prediction of tidal movement,
mathematicians use different formula, depending on mainly
semi-diurnal or mainly diurnal.
The determination of character of the tide depend on the
amplitudes of some of the harmonic constituents of the tide, if
(H of S2) is greater than (H of K1 & H of O1) the tide is mainly
semi-diurnal, and the opposite is called mainly diurnal.
In Admiralty Tide Tables, Part II, values for MHWS, MLWS,
MHWN and MLWN are tabulated when the tide is semidiurnal; for diurnal tide values for MHHW, MLLW, MLHW,
and MHLW are tabulated.
PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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DETERMINIG THE CHARACTER OF THE TIDE

Due to Van der Stok, the relative of the importance of the diurnal and semidiurnal tidal constituents is sometimes expressed in terms of a Form Number:

F =

K 1 +O 1
M 2 + S

Reference:
Dronkers, J.J. 1964
Tidal Computation in River and Coastal Waters

The tides may be roughly classified as follows [Courtier]:

Diurnal

The diurnal tide is only one high and one

low water each day.

F 0.25

Semi-diurnal

The semi-diurnal tide is two high and two

low water and the range is almost the
same.

1.5 < F 3.0

Mixed, mainly
diurnal

Mixed tide but diurnal is dominant.

0.25< F 1.5

Mixed, mainly
semi-diurnal

Mixed tide but semi-diurnal is dominant.

F > 3 .0

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

GRAPH PRESENTATION BASED ON THE TYPE OF TIDE

1.50
Diurnal tide
0.75

W
a
t
e
r
l
e
v
e
l
(m)

0.00
1.50
Semi-diurnal tide
0.75
0.00
1.50
Mixed, mainly
diurnal tide

0.75
0.00
1.50

Mixed, mainly semidiurnal tide

0.75
0.00
0

24

Time (hours) 48

72

PROF. Sr DR. MOHD RAZALI MAHMUD

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