How tides happen
In short: The Moon's gravity pulls on Earth's oceans, raising bulges that coasts turn through each day.
1. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels on Earth. 2. The Moon's gravity pulls on Earth and its oceans. 3. Tides result from the gravitational pull of the Moon, and the Sun, on the oceans. 4. The Moon's gravity raises a bulge of water facing the Moon and another on the opposite side. 5. Many coasts get two high and two low waters each day as Earth turns through the bulges.
Sources: NOAA, “What causes tides?” (Public domain (US Government work)); Wikipedia, “Tide (Wikipedia)” (CC BY-SA 4.0). Illustrative, not to scale; the bulges are exaggerated.
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Sources
- Source: NOAA: What causes tides? · Public domain (US Government work)
- Also: Tide
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