Tides

Front

What causes tides?

Back

Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on the Earth's oceans.

Front

What is a tidal bulge?

Back

A tidal bulge is the rise in sea level on the side of the Earth facing the moon due to its gravitational pull.

Front

How many high tides occur in a typical day?

Back

There are usually two high tides in a typical day.

Front

What is the difference between spring tides and neap tides?

Back

Spring tides occur when the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned, resulting in higher high tides and lower low tides. Neap tides occur when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides.

Front

What is the role of the sun in tides?

Back

The sun also exerts a gravitational pull on the Earth's oceans, but its effect on tides is less than that of the moon due to its greater distance from Earth.

Front

What happens to the ocean on the side of the Earth opposite the moon?

Back

There is another tidal bulge on the side of the Earth opposite the moon, resulting in a high tide there as well.

Front

What is a high tide?

Back

A high tide is the maximum level of the ocean water at a given location, occurring when the tidal bulge is present.

Front

What is a low tide?

Back

A low tide is the minimum level of the ocean water at a given location, occurring when the tidal bulge is not present.

Front

How often do neap tides occur?

Back

Neap tides occur approximately every two weeks, during the first and third quarters of the moon.

Front

What is the gravitational pull?

Back

Gravitational pull is the force that attracts two bodies towards each other, such as the moon's pull on the Earth's oceans.