Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Homework: Tidal Range

What is tidal range?
* Tidal range is the difference in water level between successive high and low tides (Marine
Biology, 67).

What causes high and low tides?
* High and low tides are caused by a combination of the gravity of the sun and the moon
and also the centrifugal force that results from the rotatin of the earth, moon, and the sun
(Marine Biology, 67).

What causes spring and neap tides?
* When the sun and the moon are aligned with each other, or the tide range is large. Neap
tides are caused when the sun and moon are at right angles their effects partially cancel
each other, or when the tidal range is small (Marine Biology, 67).

How does tidal range effect the types of organisms and the shape and size of the organisms?
* The tides alternately expose and submerge organisms on the shore drive the circulation of
bays and estaries, trigger spawning, and influence the lives of marine organisms in
countless other ways (Marine Biology, 65).

Tuesday, August 28, 2007