If you will forgive the slight bastardisation of the old proverb i will endeavour to explain.
I have queried the ‘common’ scientific ‘wisdom’ concerning our planet’s tides in a previous post, and to date have not had a single reply to my query (why is the Moon said to have the greater effect on our tides when it can be shown the Sun’s gravitational pull is about 170 times that of the Moon at the surface of the Earth?)
Today i was reconsidering the subject and found a direct contradiction between accepted scientific argument and the simple facts. In science this should not be so!
‘Anyone’ (who does not actually know better by simple observation) will tell you that the Moon’s gravitational pull on Earth causes the water directly facing the Moon to ‘rise’ upwards causing a high tide. They will likewise probably try to convince you that when the Moon and the Sun are both in a direct line with the Earth that this pull and resulting ‘bulge’ of the ocean’s surface is at it’s maximum causing a ‘Spring tide’ or highest tide in any month.
Spring and Neap (low) tides. The Sun is to the left of this image.
The smarter ones will even explain that because the earth’s surface is not smooth and even, having points both higher and lower than the level of our oceans in irregular pattern, that some tides can be much higher than others and sometimes not exactly occurring when you would otherwise expect them to.
This generally satisfies all but the most questioning minds on the matter – we believe what is said by those who seem to know what they are talking about.
It is a mistake to not question things – to just believe blindly when someone who seems to know what they are talking about says ‘This is so’.
Here’s my point. While it is true that Earth’s surface (eg coastline) is complex and does make for unusual tides (Bay of Fundy has tides of 50+feet while most places it is only 2-5 feet difference between high and low tides) there is a place where there is but a small amount of land in a massive (1/3rd the surface of the Earth!) amount of water. If there is anywhere the actual effect of Moon and Sun on the tides should be able to be fairly observed, it is Hawaii!
And guess what? Looking at the tide tables for any month on Hawaiian islands shows something quite ‘wrong’ (at least as far as the experts would tell you was the case!)
| 4/9/2013 | 10:18 AM | -0.20 ft. | Low | 6:18 AM | 6:50 PM |
| 4/9/2013 | 4:57 PM | 1.69 ft. | High | 6:18 AM | 6:50 PM |
| 4/9/2013 | 11:19 PM | 0.10 ft. | Low | 6:18 AM | 6:50 PM |
| 4/10/2013 | 4:47 AM | 1.09 ft. | High | 6:18 AM | 6:50 PM |
| 4/10/2013 | 10:44 AM | -0.19 ft. | Low | 6:18 AM | 6:50 PM |
| 4/10/2013 | 5:32 PM | 1.76 ft. | High | 6:18 AM | 6:50 PM |
| 4/11/2013 | 12:04 AM | 0.13 ft. | Low | 6:18 AM | 6:50 PM |
| 4/11/2013 | 5:20 AM | 0.96 ft. | High | 6:17 AM | 6:51 PM |
| 4/11/2013 | 11:11 AM | -0.16 ft. | Low | 6:17 AM | 6:51 PM |
| 4/11/2013 | 6:08 PM | 1.78 ft. | High | 6:17 AM | 6:51 PM |
These are the tide tables for Waikiki, Hawaii in April 2013, (New Moon was 11 April) . High tide (red) and Low Tide (blue) are shown, whereas on the New Moon, the green figures show the greatest daily difference between a high and low tide (1.95 feet)
| 4/26/2013 | 10:54 AM | -0.37 ft. | Low | 6:05 AM | 6:56 PM |
| 4/26/2013 | 6:03 PM | 2.13 ft. | High | 6:05 AM | 6:56 PM |
| 4/27/2013 | 1:00 AM | 0.00 ft. | Low | 6:05 AM | 6:56 PM |
| 4/27/2013 | 5:55 AM | 0.73 ft. | High | 6:04 AM | 6:56 PM |
| 4/27/2013 | 11:33 AM | -0.33 ft. | Low | 6:04 AM | 6:56 PM |
| 4/27/2013 | 6:52 PM | 2.14 ft. | High | 6:04 AM | 6:56 PM |
The above table is for the Full Moon (Moon on opposite side of planet to the Sun!) on 26 April. NOTE: ALL tides are more extreme during Full Moon than for the New Moon when both bodies should have their force added to one another and should therefore be more extreme!
The diff in tides for a New Moon ( pull together) = 1.95ft
The diff in tides for a Full Moon ( pull opposite) = 2.5 ft??
But the weirdness does not stop there, Thinking about the time of day the tides are supposed to occur consider this diagram.
Position of the Moon at High Tide??
Imagine you are looking at the Earth from over the North Pole and imagine the topmost blue crescent is the Pacific Ocean with Hawaii roughly where the HighTide arrow is pointing to. Considering the ‘Full Moon’ table data (Highest tide in April 2013), then the Moon is directly above Hawaii and the Sun would be directly below (opposite side of earth to the full moon!) In other words – it is midnight (near enough) in Hawaii.
So?
By the predicted (verifiable) tide times High tide occurs SIX HOURS BEFORE midnight! (6:03 pm) The lowest tide is an hour before Midday (10:54 am – when we should be having the second ‘high tide’ then!)
The highest tide of the Month is when the Moon is almost 90 degrees away from the vertical, close to the Horizon. How can the Pacific Ocean bulge outwards at it’s highest point on the tiny amount of land available when the Moon still has a half of the sky to travel through before it is pulling the bulge to it’s highest point from the surface?
Just to make the point more obvious… the Low Tide arrow above is pointing to where Hawaii is relative to the moon when there is a High Tide in Hawaii!
Can anyone offer a sound explanation for this scientific anomaly?
ImagesL K.Cooley @ home.hiwaay.net and Wikipedia
The World Is My Soapbox 
spiritministries
/ 28 April, 2013Bob my brother,
Wow! That is pretty deep. I don’t know to much about science brother. So out of love this is what I will tell you. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, the wisdom of God transcends all understanding, And God causes all things to work together for the good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Why? For His glory.
That’s the best I can do bro.
Many blessings to you and yours,
Bob
/ 28 April, 2013Be Blessed, Michael 🙂
I have no doubt that everything works according to His Perfect Plan – rest assured.
I wrote the post though more for those who do not so believe, because the ‘accepted’ scientific wisdom ( that i had long believed, before i really believed in Him) seems to say something other than meets the ‘facts’ and my former knowledge tells me this should not be so.
Either i am wrong ( quite possible even though i cannot see where) or science is ‘wrong’ in regards tides.
If they can be wrong in this they can be wrong in other things also.
Hence my interest 🙂
Your best is more than enough for me 🙂
God’s Love to you and those with you.
lessonsbyheart
/ 1 May, 2013The ocean is my favorite place to hang out. Tides are important for the beaches we visit, so I keep track of them…but I was clueless that it worked like this. I accepted the “scientific” explanation (blushing) and even told it to others.
However, you offer excellent advice:
“It is a mistake to not question things – to just believe blindly when someone who seems to know what they are talking about says ‘This is so’.” As time goes on, this is becoming increasingly evident everywhere. Craziness.
I’m so glad to know that you’re one of the sheep, and therefore know Acts 17:11 – I’ll bet you apply it on a regular basis, as well: “Listen with all readiness, then check to see if these things be so.”
You have a very interesting site here. I pray that it draws the attention of those who need to have their beliefs challenged. I get quite a few, which is so exciting to me! I’d rather not just preach to the choir!
\ 🙂 /
Praising Jesus!
Bob
/ 1 May, 2013Welcome T 🙂
I may be a black sheep 😉 ( looking to be washed!)
Acts 17:11 says we are to test against Scripture to see if it may be so.
I also very much like 1John 4:1 and Thessalonians 5:21 – examine everything carefully, hold fast to that which is good/true.
I will be visiting your site although i doubt i’ll challenge much;-)
Blessings 🙂