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ocean tides and waves

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devayaani | 19:18 Thu 16th Apr 2009 | Science
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Is there any relationship between the ocean tides and the ocean waves?
Are they two unconnected phenomena?
Thank you.

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Entirely unconnected... fact is the wind and tides could be running in different directions. Tides are caused soley by the Moon's gravitational effects on the Earth and the waves are caused by winds...
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Thank you Clanad for the answer
For a more in depth discussion of these phenomena . . . click here
Tides can cause waves. Famously, in the Pentland Firth, between the northenmost point of mainland Scotland and the Orkney Islands, the strong tidal stream flows over rock and sandwave ridges on the seabed and this sets up quite large waves on the surface, even on the calmest day. But while wind-generated waves move over the surface, these tidal stream waves remain stationary over the seabed obstructions.
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Thanks mibn2cweus. I enjoyed reading the website suggested by you.
Whilst not strictly oceanic, tidal bores in river estuaries produce waves which have nothing to do with wind:

http://www.pol.ac.uk/home/insight/riverbores.h tml
where as I agree with Clanad's general reasoning, without the winds there would still be waves, caused by the movement of water over uneven surfaces. For exanple there is an artificial reef being built in in my home town, well in the sea anyway, to utilise this very phenomenon for surfers. The tides do cause water movement of course. Howver, principly the 2 are largely unconnected.

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