Tides & Waves
Tides are the Earth's most visible rhythmic motion — rising and falling in response to the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun, repeating with remarkable precision.
- Lunar Influence — The Moon's gravity pulls ocean water toward it, creating a bulge: a high tide. As Earth rotates, coastlines pass through these bulges producing two high and two low tides each day.
- Spring Tides — occur during new and full moons, when Earth, Moon, and Sun align and gravitational forces combine.
- Neap Tides — occur during quarter moons, when forces partially cancel and tidal range is smallest.
- Long-Period Waves — oceans also resonate with slow waves shaped by basin geometry and planetary rotation.