Serenity- “A Little Bit of Oceanography”

 Reading “The Sea in the Desert,” by Nonie McKibbin, I found a diagram explaining simply some of the aspects of the process the water on earth undergoes that creates waves, tides, and other patterns in the water. I knew the gravity of the moon had to do with the tides, but I didn’t know that the sun and earth had to do with it, too. Along with the centrifugal force the earth exerts on its own waters as it spins, the sun and moon work together- especially when aligned across from each other and at ninety degree angles (with the earth being in the middle in each instance)- to pull the water to even more extreme distances than it otherwise is pulled to.

Because the earth, moon, and sun are consistently following the same patterns, it is possible to calculate where they will be- and thus how the tides will act in accordance, in the future. There are entire tide calendars full of these predictions, and our trip was planned with these tides in mind. The plans were spot on, and tonight we’re supposed to see a lunar eclipse- meaning the tides are at their peak, or what we call a  spring tide. These extreme tides are unique to Puerto Penasco, and this opportunity is the source of a lot of our recent pictures!