'

-\; uaNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH VOLUM (,4, No. 12 {)FCEMaF.R, 1959

Formulas for Computing the Tidal Accelerations

Due to the Moon and the Sun1

I. JYL LONGMAN
Institute of Geophysics, University of Clllifornia
Los Angeles, California

AbslractA summary of formulas with which the tidal accelerations due to the nioon and
the sun can be computed at any given time for any point on the earth's surface, without
reference to tables, is p resented in this paper. These formulas are convenient f or cornput er use .

Introduction-The basic formulas for the resulting expressions \Vere used in a gu program
:omputation of the vertical and horizontal for an 113:.170!) computer. In view of the useful
10mponents of tidal acceleration, Uu and ho, on ness of this program it appears to the author
.1rigid earth have been given by a number of that a su1nn1ary of the formulas used is of
1uthors. 1'he analysis is given, for example, by interest.
Doodson [1921], Schureman [1924], Pettit [1954],
!Dd Barrels [195n A good account is also given 7'heory1he syrnbols used in this discussion
oy Doodson awl Warburg [1941]. Schureman's are
was reissued as a revised edition in a earth's equatorial radius (6.378270 X
1941, but in this paper references are given 10 cm)
to the older edition in cases where a particular a defined in equation (31)
formula no longer appears in the new edition, at' defined in equation (32)
or a result is less accurately given there. 'rhe 11 ascending intersection of moon's orbit
essential first step in all these formulations is \vith the equator
the expression of the effective tidal acceleration c 1nean distance between centers of the
in terms of the zenith angle and the distance of earth and the moon
the tide-producing body. Fro1n this point there c, tnean distance between centers of the
ire two main lines of development. Doodson, earth and the sun \1A95000 x 1013 cm)
Schureman, and Bartels proceeded to develop [Pettit, 1954]
the lunar and solar tides into their harmonic c defined in equation (34)
wnstituents, whereas Pettit gave forrnulas " distu nee betiVCCn centers of the earth
with which the tidal forces can be computed and the moon
with the aid of tables from the American 1Vautical f) distance bet\vf'en centers of the earth
,ilmanac. and the sun
The author was recently engaged in program e eccentricity of the n1oon's orLit
(0.054899720
ing go for an electronic cornputer. 'fhe computer [Shurenian1 1924, p. 172]; 0.05490 [Shure
was to display go as a function of time for any man, 19-ll, p. 1G2])
given place on the earth's surface, starting at e1 eccentricity of the earth's orbit
any given epoch. 1-"or this purpose it seerned g0 vertical cotnponent of tidal acceleration
desirable to use a closed form for the expression due to the sun and the moon
for go, rather than its harmonic devclopmenti g,.,._ vertical component of tidal acceleration
and to obviate the use of tables in the computa due to the moon
tion. 1'he formulas of Schureman were cast into g. vertical component of tidal acceleration
a form convenient for the purpose, and the due to the sun
h mean longitude of the sun
1lnstitute of Geophysics Publ ication No. 147.
This research was supported by the Office of ho horizontal component of tidal acceleration
Naval Research under Cont ruct Nonr 233(19). due to the sun and the moon

2351
 I. 1\J. LONGivfAN

h.,, horizontal cornp(lJJCllt of t-idnl ttt't'('leration Y' nferred equinox

due to the moon ' zenith angle of sun
h horizontal component of tidal acceleration x right ascension of meridian of place of
due to the sun observations reckoned from A
Ii height of polnt of obscr\ation above sea X1 right ascension of meridian of place of
level observations reckoned from the vernal
i inclination of the moon's orbit to the equinox
ecliptic w inclination of the earth's equator to the
I inclination of the rnoon's orbit to the ecliptic= 23.452 [Schureman 1941, p. 162]
equator n moon's ascending node
longitude of moon in its orbit reckoned
from its ascending intersection \\'ith the
llefcrring to Schurenian [1941, p. 13J, we see
that, if the filth power of the moon's parallax
equator
(whieh could only contribute less than 0.05
11 longitude of sun in the ecliptic reckoned
per cent of the total tide-producing force) ;,
from the vernal equinox
ignored, the vertical component (upwards) of
L terrestrial longitude of general point P on
the lunar tidal force per unit mass at a point P
earth's surface
on the earth's surface is
1n ratio of mean motion of the sun to that
of the moon (0.071804 f.Schureman, 1941, ,fr .,
p. lG2) gm = a' (3 cos B - I)
111 mass of moon
"V longitude of the moon's ascending node 3 ,lfr2 3
in its orbit reckoned from the referred
+ 2 7- (5 cos e - 3 cos o) (1)
equinox (N = QY' in Fig. I)
p mean longitude of lunar perigee To the same order of accuracy the I1orizontal

p1 component is
mean longitude of solar perigee
P general point on the earth's surface
3 Mr
r disLtnce from P to the center of the earth hm = 2 7- sin 28
s n1ean longitude of moon in its orbit reckoned

S
from the referred equinox
mass of sun
+ r' (5 cos' e - 1) sin e (2)
hour angle of mean sun rneasured west
ward from the place of observations The expressions for the components of tidal

to Green\vich civil ti1ne measured in hours acceleration due to the sun are similar, the

T number of Julian centuries (361525 days) terms depending on the fourth po"9i'Cf of the

from Green\rich n1ean noon on December sun's parallax being negligible. Thus

31, 1899
Sr 2
a defined in equations (15) and (JG) g, = [)' (3 cos 'I' - 1) (3)
0 zenith angle of moon
A terrestrial latitude of general point on 3 Sr .
earth's surface h, = 2 ])'- sm 20 'I' ( 4)
Netvton's gravitational constant
11 longitude in the celestial equator of its g. + g, (5)
intersection A. with the moon's orbit and
(side AY in Fig. J) (6)
h,, = " + h,
longitude in the moon's orbit of its as
cending intersection with the celestial In order to express g0, ho as functions of the
equator time for any given point P {given latitude?
u mean longitude of moon in radians in its and longitude L), it is necessary to obtain
orbit reckoned from .11 81 VJ,d, and D as functions of time, and r as a.
T vernal equinox function of latitude (and altitude). Schureman
 TID L ACCELERATIONS DUE TO THE MOON A ND THE SUN 2353

Fto. I-Orbital parameters.

[1924, p. 30, equation 81] derives the relation* p = 334 J 9' 40.87"
cos 0 = sin A sinI sin l +(JI r e v. +392,515.94")T
+ cos 1' [cos' !I cos (l - x) - 37.24"T'- 0.045"T' (11)

+sin' !I cos (l+x)] (7) h = 279 41' 48.04"

A similar relation holds for the sun's zenith + 129,602,768.13"T+l.089"T' (12)

angle: These expressions may be compared with those
given by Barwls [1957, p. 747]. Bartels' formulas
cos r.p = sin A s inwsin l1
are equivalent to
+ cos A [cos' !w cos (l1 - x1)
s = 270 26' 11.72"
+sin' !w cos (l, +x,)] (8)
Schureman [1941, p. 19] gave for the longitude
+(1336 r e v.+1,108,406.0S")T
of the moon in its orbit + 7.128"T' +0.0072"T' (10')

= " + 2e sin (s -
p) + e' sin 2(s - p) p = 334 19' 46.42"
+(11 r e v. +392,522.51")T
+ 5 me sin (s- 2h +p)
- 37 .15"T'- 0.036"T' (11')

+ l m' sin 2(s- h) (9)

h = 279 41' 48.05"

+ 129,602,768.ll"T+ 1.080"7" (12' )

and (p. 162) the following expressions for s, p, h:
IT is given by the relation
= 270 26' 14. 72"
u=s- (13)
+(1336 rev.+1,108,411.20")T
\Vith reference to Figure I, a little elementary
+ 9.09"7" +0.0068"T' (10) spherical trigonometry sho?.'S to be given by
This relation is not given in Schureman [1941], = N- sin-1 (sinwsin N/sin I) (14)
where the developrr1ent of the tidal forces has
been rearranged. In order to render the inverse sine in this formula
 2354 L M. LONGMAN

unique, we also apply a cosine formula to the fh e

" an gle x in (7) is given by
spherical triangle QAY. Denoting the side
!iA by a, "re then have (23)
For a point P on the earth's surface 'tvith longi
cos a cos 1V cos v + sin ;V sin v cos w (15)
tude L, the value oft is
=

where vis the side AT (Fig. 1) and is the longitude

in the celestial equator of its intersection A t = 15(1,, - 12) - L (24)
with the moon's orbit; vis given-Ly equation expressed in degrees.
(21) below, while sin a is given, as above, Ly Equations (9) to (24) enable us to determine
the moon's zenith angle from equation (7).
sin a sin w sin 1V/sin I (16)
1'urning now to equation (8) for the sun's
=

Frorn the values of sin a and cos a we compute zenith angle, i;t,'e see that the sun's longitude
tan (a/2) from the formula l1 is given by
tan (a/2) = sin a/(1 + cos a) (17) l, = h + 2e, sin (h - p,) (25)
Notv since a lies in the interval (01 21r) a/2 lies 1 A.ccording to Schurcn1an [1941, p. 1621 p1 is
in (0, 1t) and hence vrhen a is computed as given by
a = 2 tan1 [sin a/( I + cos a)J (18) p1 = 231 lJ' 1.:),0" + G,lSfJ.Oa"T
its value is uniquely determined. + 1.G:J"1'2 + O.O I211T1 (26)
'l'he longitude lV of the moonis node is given
by Schureman [1941, p. 162] and Ci is given* by 8churen1an [192,11 p. 172] as

l'./ = 259 I O' 57.12" e, = 0.0JG75l01 - 0.000041SOT

- (5 r e v. + 482,912.63")T - 0.000000J2G1'' (27)

Bartels [1957, p. 747] ga re an ahnost identical
+ 7.58"1'2 + 0.008"7':> (19)
rxpression for P1:
Bartels [1957, p. 747] gives a formula wl1ielt is
equivalent to n,
r, = 2 8 1 1;{' 1-LfJIJ" + t\188.-17"1'

+ 1.n2"T2 + 0 .011 "1'1 (26')

,v = 259 10' :)9.81"
'rhc quantity x1 is glvf'n by
x. t + h (28)
+ 7.48"1'' + 0.007"1'' (19')
Equations (25) to (2S) suffiee to determine
'l'he inclination I of tlie rnoon's orbit to the the sun's zenith angle fro1n C'(ltl:ttion (8).
equator is given by H_eferring to equations (1) to (4) \re soe that
if we use the kno\rn ,-:dl!i.\'i of, Jf, S, that is
cos I = co w ('l);.: i [l)cait, 1 nD1
- L

I is always positive alld v1rics Lctwcc'n :1Lout "-"""' (i.()70 x ro- 8 \'g,-; units
18 and 28. Also vis gi\'PH in tenns of I, .;.V by _:_lJ = 7 ..'30.37 X I025 granis
the relation S = l.!Jfl:J X ion grains

the tidal forces are dcterrnincd if we know d,

v = sin-1 fs in i sin 1\',.'sin I] (21) the distance bet\Yccn the centers of the earth
and here the inverse sine is unique, since vre and n1oon, and DJ the distance betireen the
always have -15 < v < 15. Schurenian [19-111 centers of the earth und sun. Both quantities
p. 162] gives
* Schurcmon [10,11, p. 1G2] nH:rc:ly gives C1 ::::

i = 5.145 (22) 0.01675, c1iu<'li J:in. I, 1900.

 TIDAL ACCELEllATIO>IS DUE TO THE MOON AND THE SUN 2355

arc variable, being given by the rcL'ltions by computing a number of cases (using an
{Schureman, 192'1, pp. 55 and 172] Ill:VI 709 con1puter) and comparing the results
'vith con1putations based on Pettit's [1954] paper,
'
1/d I/c + a e cos Is - pl
and also with computations (unpublished) by
Pettit on S.\V.A_.C. (an electronic computer
+ a'e2 cos 2(s - p)
at the University of California). In every case
+ ( 15/S)a' n1c ens (s 2h + p) agreement to u'ithin a fraction of a microgal
\Vas obtained. 1'o this order of accuracy it is
+ a'ni2 cos 2(s - h) (2!J)
immaterial whether equations \10'), (11'), (12'),
I//) "''"' 1/c1 + 01 'e1 cos (It - p1) (30) (191), \20') or the unprime<l equivalents are
used. Furthermore, in the actual program, values
c = 1ncan distance between the crntcrs of a and C based on the Hayford spheroid
the earth and the moon= 3.!3"1"402 X 10H'-em. model of the earth {Hayford, 1010] were used,
This figure is derivrxl fro1n Schurcrnan' - [l iJ-1I1 and here again adoption of the later values
1621 value c = 2:J8,8.J7 miles . ..--\Jso given in this paper has no effect on the order of
accuracy stated above.
a' = 1/[r:(1 - c'.!)1 (31)
is g1vf'n by the forrnul:1 analogous to (31): REFERENCES
B.lHT!'.:LS, J., Gezeitenkriifte, J!andbuch der I'hy
1111 -:-::_ l/[c:(l - C12)J* (32) silc, vol . XLVIII, Geophysik II, Springer-Ver
lag, Berlin, 1957.
(2D) to (82) nO\\' ('!lnble us to determine Dormso::-:;, A. T., The h:trn1onic development of
tidal fotT('S :it nny gi"cn puint at ditnnce r, the tidcgenerating potentinl, Proc. Roy. Soc.
, froin the Ct'nter of tl1c earth. For points on London, A, JOO, 30;), 1921.
I>oonsox, A. T., .\ND II. D. \VAHBURG, Admiralty
earth's surf:u'.e it is convenient to 111nke
Jfnnual of Tdes, Iler 1-1ajesty's Stationery
of the known shnpc of the earth and to
Office, London, 1941.
I 'exion;ss r in terrns of the height above sea lcrel fl\YFORD, J. F., Supple1nentary Investigation in
the latitude. :\ssuming the earth to be an 1009 of the Fgure of the Earth and lsostaJ>y,
\Vith panuncters as adopted by Lrxar Govt. Printing Office, \Vasliington, D. C., 1910.
Lt:c.-\R, NI., J. SoRENSON, xsD A. EcKRLS, A deter
others [1959L \\'f'. have
mination of the coefficient J of the second har
monic in the earth's gravitational potential from
r =- Ca+ ff
the orbit of Satellite 1958 {32, J. Geophys. Re
search, r;.;, 209--216, 1959.
PViTTJT, J. T., Tables for the con1p11trition of the
tidal accelerations of the sun and moon, 1'rans.
Arn. Geophys. Union, 35, 193, 1954.
Equations (1) to C::i-1) determine the tidal ScHUHEMAN, P., A manurtl of the hannonic analy
a1:cele1ation at any p1Jint on the earth's surface. sis a.nd prediction of tides, U.S. Coast and Geo
detic Survey, Spec. Publ. 98, 1924.
(unprimed) equations h[tYe been checked
ScHURE!IL\N, P., A manual of the harmonic analy
sis and prediction of tides, U.S. Coast and Geo
*Equations (29) and (30) are also given by detic Survey Spec. Publ. 98, Revised Ed., 1941.
{1941, pp. 20 and 39] but with a' ::::
a'1 = l/r1. Essentialiy, this n1eans that e, e1 (}.fanuscript received June 13, 1959; revised
be0n neglected in co1npa,rison with unity. October I, 1959.)