Tides on Earth are primarily caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon on Earth's oceans. The Moon's gravity causes the water to bulge out on the side of Earth closest to the Moon, creating a high tide. Simultaneously, another high tide occurs on the opposite side of Earth due to the centrifugal force from the Earth-Moon system's rotation. These two bulges result in two high tides and two low tides each day as Earth rotates through them
. In addition to the Moon, the Sun also exerts a gravitational pull on Earth's waters, contributing to tides but to a lesser extent because it is much farther away despite its larger mass. When the Earth, Moon, and Sun align, their combined gravitational forces produce higher than usual tides called spring tides. When the Sun and Moon are at right angles relative to Earth, the tides are less extreme, called neap tides
. The shape of coastlines, ocean depth, and Earth's rotation also influence the timing and height of tides, making local tidal patterns complex
. In summary, tides result from the interplay of gravitational forces from the Moon and Sun acting on Earth's oceans, combined with Earth's rotation and the centrifugal force of the Earth-Moon system
