Ocean Tides

Front

What is a tide?

Back

A tide is the regular rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun on the Earth.

Front

What are high tides?

Back

High tides are when the water reaches its highest point along the shore.

Front

What are low tides?

Back

Low tides are when the water level reaches its lowest point along the shore.

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 spring tide?

Back

A spring tide is a tide that occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are aligned, resulting in higher high tides and lower low tides.

Front

What is a neap tide?

Back

A neap tide occurs when the Earth, Moon, and Sun are at right angles to each other, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides.

Front

What moon phase causes spring tides?

Back

Spring tides occur during the new moon and full moon phases.

Front

What moon phase causes neap tides?

Back

Neap tides occur during the first quarter and last quarter moon phases.

Front

How often do tides occur?

Back

Tides typically occur twice a day, resulting in two high tides and two low tides.

Front

What is the difference between a spring tide and a neap tide?

Back

Spring tides have a greater difference between high and low tides, while neap tides have a smaller difference.