Tides

Tides on planet Earth are generated by the gravitational attraction of the Moon and Sun. In the global ocean the observed tides are strongly controlled by the responses of the oceans basins to the direct tidal forcing. Analysis of tidal measurements, and the prediction of future tidal levels, represents tides as a sum of a series of harmonic terms with frequencies related to astronomical variables. In the ocean, tides propagate as Kelvin waves, under the influence of the Earth's rotation. The implications of tidal dynamics for coastal and ocean processes are briefly outlined.