Why do Tides Rise and Fall?
Tides
are
regular movements of the oceans. The water in the ocean is held
close to
the Earth by gravity. The Moon and Sun also have some pull on the
Earth. The
Moon's gravity affects water in the oceans. The sea
is pulled slightly towards the Moon, causing a
bulge or high tide. When the Sun's gravity and
the Moon's gravity pull in the same direction,
their combined force causes a very high or spring tide. When the Sun and Moon
pull against
each other at right angles, a very low or neap tide occurs. The Moon
is travelling around the Earth
and at
the same time, the Earth is also spinning on its
axis, so most places have two high and two low tides about every 24 hours. During a high
tide, the
water flows as far inland as it can, while during a low
tide, the water is pushed away.
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