Question

1. In your own words, summarize what causes tides. Discuss the effects of tidal forces and how bulges are formed.
2. In your own words, explain why humans are interested in monitoring tides. What impact do tides have on human life? What impact might tides have on other organisms?
3. In your own words, discuss how tides are monitored. Describe the old and new methods of monitoring tides.

Answer 1

1: gravity is stronger closer to the source, so the moon pulls more on the oceans near it than the moon pulls on the earth, creating a bulge toward the moon. The moon pulls on the earth more than it does on the far-side oceans which, in effect, pulls the earth out from under the far-side ocean, making a bulge away from the moon.

Answer 2

so its supposed to be in YOUR own words right ? :P

Answer 3

Remember that the gravitational effect of the sun is important too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tides

The other thing is the shape of the coastline - some places have especially high tides since the bulges get squeezed into inlets by the rotation of the earth (the Bay of Fundy is a good example).