Tidal Power In The Bay Of Fundy

Essay, Research Paper

Environment Report: Tidal Power In The Bay of Fundy

Prepared for Bill Andrson

Professor at St.Lawrence College for Environmental Science.

By

November 22,1996

Introduction

The Bay of Fundy, which is found off the shores of Nova Scotia, has the

highest tides in the universe.

Extraordinary tides occur when the tidal moving ridge length is two to four

times the length of the Bay. By virtuousness of unsighted fortune or natural philosophies, the tide is

amplified into a standing moving ridge, like H2O splashing in a bathing tub.

For a breakage

moving ridge to organize, the billowing tide must run into an obstruction. When the ocean meets the

river traveling in the opposite way, the sea hesitates, piles up behind the

front line, and progresss afresh in a tidal dullard.

Normally the ingredients occur during a new Moon with 15 pess tides and

the opposing force of the Shubenacadie river to expose the true Bay & # 8217 ; s

impressiveness.

This portion of St.

John is divided into 3 chief countries: the chief Harbor,

Courtenay Bay and the Outer Harbor. These countries are influenced by the Bay of

Fundy tides and the currents of the St John River which flow out of the chief

Habour into the Bay.

This subdivision besides experiences two high and two low tides each twenty-four hours ( semi

– diurnal ) , with a tidal scope changing from 15 to 18 pess, depending on the type

of tides. High & # 8211 ; H2O highs vary from 22 to 28 pess and low & # 8211 ; H2O highs

vary from 0 to 7 pess above chart informations. Because of these semi & # 8211 ; diurnal tides

and the action of the St John River, slack H2O in the Habour occurs at

about tides and non at high or low H2O as would be the instance at other

parts.

THE RHYTHMIC RISE AND FALL

In the Bay of Fundy, the tides are stunningly big. While the rise

and autumn of sea degree due to tides is the most evident facet, it is besides the

tidal currents that direct magnification of tides, and the sea degree rises or

diminutions are due to ensuing convergences and divergences. These tides rise

and autumn over a scope that is greater than 50 pess ; such monolithic H2O motion

combined with accretion of deposit through eroding has built up a big salt

fen that is a feeding station for migrating shore birds. The low fundy besides

feeding a land for marine life including giants. A long clip ago between about

15000 and 10000 twelvemonth ago at the glacier retreated from the last ice age, portion of

Saint georges Bank were dry land. Such as fragment of trees and gigantic dentitions from

this are still found occasional in angling travels. The Sun and the Moon are

the lone of import heavenly organic structures in bring forthing Terrestrial tides. While the

Moon is much smaller than the Sun, it is however more of import for tidal

procedures, because of its propinquity to the Earth. There is a little instability

between the centrifugal force and the gravitative attractive force of the Moon on

the H2O column that gives rise to horizontal forces, doing H2O gesture that

causes two bumps in the sea surface. One instantly under the Earth, and the

other on the other side of the Earth. These bumps tend to revolve around the

Earth along with the Moon resetting in semi-diurnal tides with a period of half

a lunar twenty-four hours ( 12.4 diurnal hours ) even though the Earth & # 8217 ; s rotary motion is a diurnal

period of 24 hours.

Prologue

The Bay of Fundy is an country of about 1.6 ( 100000 Km2 ) . The Bay of Fundy is a

portion of the Continental Shelf off eastern Canada and New England. It besides serves

as an extension that divides New Brunswick from Western Nova Scotia. At the Bay

of Fundy & # 8217 ; s tidal river at the Southwestern tip of Nova Scotia, sea H2O

overflows the other riverside in spring to lodge tonss of North Atlantic Salt

twice daily. In the tidal river, fresh H2O and salt H2O are assorted. Fundy of

Bay is celebrated for its tides which is the best and highest in the whole universe.

The fen is a place to mammals, a genteelness topographic point for birds and a eating land

for estuary fish. It is a land that leaves even the most experient naturalists

awestruck by the aerial concert dance performed yearly by 1000s of birds winging

flying to flying during one-year migration.

The first experiment covering with the effects of environmental pollution

was conducted at Yarmouth. There was a contaminated creek on a farm sullied by

fetid wastewater. Part of job came from the regional airdrome where

noxious tally of degree Fahrenheit had spilled into the head H2O of the creek. This pollution

stayed in the creek for over 25 old ages. The country was putrid smelling from fish

repast and made people ill.

TIDAL POWER

The Fundy tides are a renewable beginning of energy with potentially 100s of

one million millions of kilow

atts generated each twelvemonth. It has the possible to supply

feasible energy, as there is a turning demand for pollution-free beginnings. The Bay

of Fundy tidal power has, over half a century, been sparked involvement and

successful probe into the potency of its development. Technological

promotion and & # 8220 ; the new economic system & # 8221 ; brought renewed involvement into developing energy

from the Fundy tides.

SUN AND MOON

While the rhythmic transition of sea degree and its association with the gesture

of the Sun and the Moon must hold been noticed since prehistoric clip, a better

understanding had to wait until Sir Isacc Newton applied his theory of

gravity to explicate the implicit in physical mechanism. He was able to

building an equilibrium theory of tides, that explained the semi-diurnal

nature of tides in most parts of the universe. If there were infinite clip allowed

for accommodation of the ocean to the astronomical forces it is the equilibrium

tides that would be the consequence. This is, nevertheless, non the instance since the tidal

coercing varies rather quickly with clip. Resonance in the pelagic response push

tides in certain vicinities to be above the value predicted by the equilibrium

theory. While the equilibrium theory merchandises two bumps to organize, one underneath

the Moon and the other on the opposite side of the Earth, in world the high

H2O may significantly predate or dawdle the theodolite of the Moon. These

differences are due to the dynamic response of the oceans to tidal forcing. It

was Laplace who a century subsequently laid the theoretical and mathematical foundation

for modern dynamic theory of ocean tides by sing pelagic tides to be the

response of a unstable medium to the astronomical forcing by the Sun and Moon & # 8217 ; s

gravitative attractive forces.

THE OIL OF FUNDY BAY

The transit of oil from the Bay of Fundy and the coevals of atomic

power are two facets of the same issue in that the supply of energy that

present built-in hazards to the environment, but opposing statements against the

usage of foreign oil and atomic power might be base on strictly economic evidences.

The hazard of oil spills with ruinous and long permanent effects on Marine

beings and the coastal environment is ever a possibility.

TIDAL POWER OF ELECTRICAL ENERGY

The monumental Mains Basin strategy produces more than twice as much electricity

in Nova Scotia at 4560 megawatts from all sources-coal, oil and hydro as the

largest water-driven electrical power works in the universe. Nova Scotia produces

more power than Newfoundland & # 8217 ; s Churchill Falls ( about 2660 megawatts ) and

Ontario Hydro & # 8217 ; s Picketing nuclear-power works ( 2160 megawatts ) . Tidal power

would non replace conventional electrical energy derived from atomic or dodo

fuels for peak demand. Tidal power has fluctuating extremums so. At 12 midday is when

you need the power might non be quailabler. Utilities would still run into extremum

demand whether or non tidal power was on the line. The renewable energy beginning

utilizing lunar gravity and hydroelectricity has become progressively of import.

Compared with a river dike, tidal power has a hard seawater environment,

where machines are needed to bring forth of power and besides have saltwater lastingness.

The electric power end product is the twice-daily ebb norm of tidal electricity

less than 40 % of the bring forthing capacity of a river dike.

TIDAL POWER AND THE MILL

In the 15 century, a building enchiridion was published, demoing how tidal

H2O was held behind a dike at high tide so that when a sufficient H2O degree

was reached between the land and sea sides of the dike. a factory could utilize tidal

H2O to blend with the fresh H2O to turn the water wheel that provided power for

crunching grain. The first factory in the would was built in 1607 by Samuel de

Champlain on the Lequille River. By 1910 Turnbull and an American applied scientist,

designed a dual basin strategy that would traverse the international boundary

between New Brunswick and Maine.

Decision

Given the grave environmental challenges such as planetary warning or environmental

pollution confronting many sort in the approaching century and because oceans play such a

really of import function in regulating the grade of planetary heating, piscaries yield,

and grades of pollution along our beaches, the survey of the tides through a

assortment of agencies such as ship studies, and remote feeling will take to a better

apprehension of how the oceans work. The hope is that as a consequence, we will

go forth buttocks for our kids a universe that is both liveable every bit good as gratifying

in all its stateliness. If we an avoid oil spills into the ocean the H2O and

environment will be more beautiful and ecologically safe for all living things.