Section 2: Water affects the landscape and climate.ο»Ώ

Key Ideas     Unit Checklist

  Unit E: Section 2 – Introduction


Figure E.S.2.1 – People can walk on the beach during low tide at the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick.

Figure E.S.2.2 – At high tide, the Hopewell Rocks beach is completely covered in deep water.


Figure E.S.2.3 – Boats rest on the ocean floor at low tide in the Bay of Fundy.
Bay of Fundy

The tidal range, or the difference in water height between low and high tide, is different for all shorelines around the world. Many coastlines have a very small tidal range between one and two metres. Other shores experience a very large difference between low and high tide.

The largest tidal range in the world is in the Bay of Fundy, between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The largest water level changes are located far up the bay. In the Minas Basin, the water level difference between low and high tide is 14 metres. That’s the height of a four-storey building!

Twice each day, over 100 billion tonnes of water move in and out of the Bay of Fundy. The motion of this massive amount of water erodes rocks on the seashore, resulting in dramatic cliffs and sea stacks like the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick.

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Dramatic Tide Changes

This time-lapse video shows the dramatic tidal range at the Hopewell Rocks in New Brunswick.

 
 
 
 
This time-lapse video shows the tidal range at a Bay of Fundy harbor in Nova Scotia.

 
 
 
 
The movement of massive amounts of water in the Bay of Fundy continues to erode rocks. This news report explains the collapse of an iconic sea stack at the Hopewell Rocks.

 
 

  Words to Think About:

Check out the word cloud below. It pictures the important words that you are going to learn in this section. Watch for these words, and combinations of these words, as you read. When you see them highlighted, you can click on them to learn more about what the word means. You can also visit the course glossary and read definitions for all of these words.

 
Lessons in This Section

Lesson E4: Waves and Tides
Key Question – Why does water move in the ocean?

Lesson E5: Water Erosion
Key Question – How does water carve landscapes into rock?

Lesson E6:  Ocean Basins
Key Question – How do oceans form and what features do oceans have?

Lesson E7:  Glaciers and Icefields
Key Question – How does frozen water affect landscapes?

Lesson E8:  How Water and Oceans Affect Climate
Key Question – How do ocean currents affect water evaporation and climate?
Reading and Materials for This Section

Science in Action 8
Reading: Pages 348–371

Materials Lists for Unit:
Master List of all materials
Materials organized by lesson and activity
Figure E.S.2.4 – A tidal power station generates electricity in the Bay of Fundy.
Figure E.S.2.5 – Underwater turbines spin as tidal water moves in the Bay of Fundy.

Making Electricity with Tides

In places with large tidal ranges, huge amounts of water move quickly. This predictable water motion can be used to generate electricity. The moving water spins large underwater turbines, which are connected to electricity generators. Tidal power is a renewable source of energy that does not contribute to climate change. The downside to tidal power is that it only works well in places with a large tidal range.

The town of Annapolis Royal in Nova Scotia has the only tidal power generating station in North America. Researchers and engineers are working on the challenge of building additional tidal power stations in the Bay of Fundy.

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Tidal Power

This video explains how tidal electricity is generated.

 
 
 
 
Watch this video to learn about tidal power research in the Bay of Fundy.