Question

Read the given passage and answer the following questions.

The ocean water experiences periodic rise and fall in its level. This movement of water is called Tides. When the level of the sea water rises near the coast, it is said to experience High tide and when the water level recedes back towards the sea, it is said to experience Low tide. The difference between the water level of high tide and low tide is called Tidal Range or Amplitude. Every water body experiences two high tides and two low tides during the span of 24 hours. The high tides and the low tides alternate each other, meaning that a tide is experienced almost every six hours. In olden times, people in the coastal area used to note time according to the movement of tides. When the water rises during the high tide, it is called “flood tide” and when it recedes, it is called “ebb tide”.

1. Are the tides an example of horizontal or the vertical movement of ocean water?
2. Why are the tides often referred to as the periodic movement of ocean water?
3. How do people in the coastal area record time according to the rise and fall of the tides?

Answer 1

1. Tides are an example of vertical movement of ocean water, as they involve the periodic rise and fall in the level of the sea water near the coast.
2. Tides are referred to as the periodic movement of ocean water because the rise (high tide) and fall (low tide) of water levels happen repeatedly and regularly, approximately every six hours, resulting in two high tides and two low tides in a span of 24 hours.
3. In olden times, people living in coastal areas used to note the time according to the movement of tides. Since the high tides and low tides alternate approximately every six hours, they marked time based on the rising (flood tide) and receding (ebb tide) water levels.