To predict the next date when the difference between low tide and high tide would be about 7 feet, we need to analyze the pattern of the tide heights based on the moon phases and the heights recorded:
- January 1 (Full Moon): Spring tide, height difference = 7.3 feet
- January 8 (Half Moon): Neap tide, height difference = 5.2 feet
- January 16 (New Moon): Spring tide, height difference = 7.4 feet
We note the following points:
- Full moons and new moons (spring tides) generally have higher differences between high and low tides, while half moons (neap tides) tend to have lower differences.
- The pattern seems to rotate through roughly a 29.5-day lunar cycle, where approximately every 14.75 days (half of the cycle), the moon phases and their associated tide effects will repeat.
- Based on the data:
- The next spring tide after January 16 (new moon) would be around January 31 (approximately 15 days later) which shows a high tide difference likely around the same range (7.3 to 7.4 feet) as seen in the earlier spring tides.
- After January 31, we expect the following phases around February 15 with another spring tide.
Given this analysis, the closest date to predict a tide difference around 7 feet would be:
A. January 31
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