TIDAL OBSERVATIONS

AND
DETERMINATION OF MEAN SEA LEVEL

By
Rakesh Sharma, Surveyor
Marine Geodesy Wing
Geodetic & Research Branch
FOOT PRINTS

Geodetic & Research Branch of Survey of

India has a long history of over 125 years
(since 1877) of maintaining tidal data
generated from the tide gauge network
along the Indian coast and islands.
This data is being used for subsequent
processing/analysis for various purposes.
 Force of attraction ∝ Me*Mm/
D2

EARTH
A O B MOON
D
D-r
D+r

Force of attraction at A< Force at O < Force

at B
 B
Force at B
O
Force at
A O
Force at
EARTH A
-O
A O B MOON

(B – O)

( A– O)

Force of attraction at A< Force at O < Force

at B
 B
Force at B
O
Force at
A O
Force at
EARTH A
-O
A O B MOON

(B – O)

( A– O)

Force of attraction at A< Force at O < Force

at B
 B
Force at B
O
Force at
A O
Force at
EARTH A
-O
A O B MOON

(B – O)

( A– O)

Force of attraction at A< Force at O < Force

at B
 B
Force at B
O
Force at
A O
Force at
EARTH A
-O
A O B MOON

(B – O)

( A– O)

Force of attraction at A< Force at O < Force

at B
TYPE OF TIDAL OBSERVATIONS

• Long term observations

(Using Tide poles)
• Short term observations
(Using Automatic tide gauges)
THE TIDE PRODUCING FORCES
The attraction of Sun and Moon for the
water of ocean is different in intensity from the
attraction for the solid earth as a whole, and
these differences of attraction gives rise to the
forces that cause the ocean water to move
relatively to the solid earth and bring the tides.
These forces are called “ the tide producing
forces”.
The mathematical development of these
forces shows that the tide producing forces of
heavenly body varies directly as its mass and
inversely as the cube of the distance of earth
from the heavenly body.
 EARTH

CENTRIFUGAL FORCE
 GRAVITATIONAL FORCE ∝ Me*Mm/D2

EARTH
MOON
r

D-r
D
D+r

CENTRIFUGAL FORCE GRAVITATIONAL PULL

 GRAVITATIONAL FORCE ∝ Me*Mm/D2

EARTH
MOON

D-r
D
D+r

CENTRIFUGAL FORCE GRAVITATIONAL PULL RESULTANT FORCE

 GRAVITATIONAL FORCE ∝ Me*Mm/D2

EARTH
MOON

D-r
D
D+r

CENTRIFUGAL FORCE GRAVITATIONAL PULL RESULTANT FORCE

 TIDAL OBSERVATIONS
THE MAIN GOAL
• DETERMINATION OF MEAN SEA LEVEL
• TIDAL PREDICTIONS
DETERMINATION OF MEAN SEA
LEVEL AND OTHER TIDAL LEVELS

MEAN SEA LEVEL

MEAN TIDE LEVEL
MEAN HIGH WATER
MEAN LOW WATER
MEAN RANGE