Question

In how many categories can tides be classified on the basis of their height and frequency?

Answer 1

• Semi-diurnal tide: It is the most common tidal pattern, featuring two high tides and two low tides each day. The successive high or low tides are approximately of the same height.
• Diurnal tide: There is only one high tide and one low tide during each day. The successive high and low tides are approximately of the same height.
• Mixed tide: Tides having variations in height are known as mixed tides. These tides generally occur along the west coast of North America and on many islands of the Pacific Ocean.
• Spring tides: The position of both the sun and the moon in relation to the earth has direct bearing on tide height. When the sun, the moon and the earth are in a straight line, the height of the tide will be higher. These are called spring tides.
• Neap tides: Wlien the sun and moon are at right angles to each other and the forces of the sun and moon tend to counteract one another. The moon’s attraction, though more than twice as strong as the sun’s, is diminished by the counteracting force of the sun’s gravitational pull. These are called neap tides.