What is a REAL "tidal wave"?

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Razzbar - 11 Jan 2005 02:10 GMT

I know that a tsunami is not a "tidal wave", and I know what a
tsunami is, but all the noise generated by using the term "tidal
wave" for tsunami has made it really, really hard for me to find
out what a REAL tidal wave is... Searching for pages with "tidal
wave" on them invariably give me pages with info on tsunami.
So what IS a tidal wave?

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David - 11 Jan 2005 03:05 GMT

>I know that a tsunami is not a "tidal wave", and I know what a
>tsunami is, but all the noise generated by using the term "tidal
>wave" for tsunami has made it really, really hard for me to find
>out what a REAL tidal wave is... Searching for pages with "tidal
>wave" on them invariably give me pages with info on tsunami.
>So what IS a tidal wave?

http://www.sfgate.com/getoutside/1996/jun/tides.html

--
Pas de lieu Rhône que nous.

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Rodney Myrvaagnes - 11 Jan 2005 05:00 GMT

I suppose the bore that rolls up the Petticodiac river when the tide
comes into the Bay of Fundy could fairly be called a tidal wave.

Rodney Myrvaagnes J36 Gjo/a

"If Brecht had directed 'Waiting for Godot,' he would have hung a large sign at the back of the stage reading 'He's not going to come, you know. ' " -- Terry Eagleton

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Brian - 13 Jan 2005 00:13 GMT

Tides are in fact waves, by definition. They are planetary waves with long
periods and varying amplitudes.

Check out the wikipedia article on the subject.

>I know that a tsunami is not a "tidal wave", and I know what a
> tsunami is, but all the noise generated by using the term "tidal
> wave" for tsunami has made it really, really hard for me to find
> out what a REAL tidal wave is... Searching for pages with "tidal
> wave" on them invariably give me pages with info on tsunami.
> So what IS a tidal wave?

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Razzbar - 13 Jan 2005 01:24 GMT

Well, I'm seeing three definitions:
1. A tidal bore
2. The planetary wave that makes tides.
3. A storm surge that comes with a high tide when there's
a local low pressure area e.g. Galviston Flood.

... and of course it's used for tsunami, too. So I conclude
the term is uslessly ambiguous.

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SteveR - 13 Jan 2005 13:55 GMT

I think that answered the question.

A tidal wave is the tide. which can lead to:

1. A tidal bore
2. The planetary wave that makes tides.
3. A storm surge that comes with a high tide when there's
a local low pressure area e.g. Galviston Flood

It is pretty rare to use the name tidal wave to describe the tides.
However that I stongly dislike the use of "tidal wave" when used to
describe a Tsunami.

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Natural Science Forum / Earth Science / Oceanography / January 2005

What is a REAL "tidal wave"?