The moon affects the tides through its gravitational pull, creating bulges of water on opposite sides of the Earth
. These bulges result in high tides, while the areas between the bulges experience low tides
. As the Earth rotates, different locations pass through these bulges, leading to the cycle of high and low tides that occur approximately every 12 hours and 25 minutes
. Several factors influence the intensity of tidal forces:
- Gravitational Pull The moon's gravity is the primary driver, with the strongest pull on the side of Earth closest to the moon
. Inertia causes a bulge on the opposite side of the Earth, counteracting the moon's gravitational pull
- Lunar Phases When the sun, moon, and Earth align during a new or full moon, their combined gravitational forces create higher tides, known as spring tides
. During the first and third quarter moons, the sun and moon are at right angles, resulting in weaker neap tides
- Distance The moon's elliptical orbit causes its distance from Earth to vary
. When the moon is closest to Earth (perigee), the gravitational pull is stronger, leading to more extreme tides. When the moon is farthest from Earth (apogee), tides are less pronounced
- Other Factors Coastline shape, ocean depth, and local geography also affect the timing and height of tides
