title: World ocean tides synthesized from normal modes.
abstract: Sixty oceanic normal modes are used to synthesize the M(2) and K(1) (principal lunar semidiurnal and declinational diurnal) tides. The ten most energetic modes in the M(2) synthesis account for 87 percent of the energy; the corresponding figure for K(1) is 93 percent, two-thirds of which is contributed by a single mode whose natural period is about 29 hours. Model calculations indicate that the quality (Q) of the ocean response to tidal forcing resembles that of a frictionally controlled oscillator. In particular, for M(2) the global Q is about 10.
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Platzman