Rapid Tide

The frothing white ocean spins madly in circling splashes that seem so erratic and unorganized that you get a little queasy just watching from shore. You are used to the orderly and predictable movements of computers and traffic lights, the natural action of the ocean is almost too frightening in its passion and power, making you feel as if you are on some alien planet discovering that the laws of physics no longer apply. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the moon and the sun and the rotation of the Earth. Most places in the ocean usually experience two high tides and two low tides each day (semi-diurnal tide), but some locations experience only one high and one low tide each day (diurnal tide). The times and amplitude of the tides at the coast are influenced by the alignment of the sun and moon, by the pattern of tides in the deep ocean and by the shape of the coastline. While tides are usually the largest source of short-term sea-level fluctuations, sea levels are also subject to forces such as wind and barometric pressure changes, resulting in storm surges, especially in shallow seas and near coasts. Tidal phenomena are not limited to the oceans, but can occur in other systems whenever a gravitational field that varies in time and space is present. For example, the solid part of the Earth is affected by tides, though this is not as easily seen as the water tidal movements.