What Causes Tides?

Tides are movements of ocean water caused by the combined effect of the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun, and Earth’s rotation. It is a huge ocean wave that moves through a body of water, and it typically occurs twice a day. Tides have an immense impact on people’s daily lives and are the primary driving factor of many of the world’s oceanic ecosystems.

Gravitational Force of the Sun and Moon

The moon rotates around the Earth in an elliptical orbit, while the Earth rotates around the Sun in a slightly different elliptical orbit. When we look up at the sky every day, we can see the moon, but we can’t see the gravitational force of the sun and moon at work.

When the sun, moon, and Earth all line up at the same time, the gravitational pull of the cosmos is powerful enough to cause the oceans to bulge. As the moon and sun pull from different points on the planet, their combined force produces two tidal bulges—a high tide and a low tide.

Solar and Lunar Cycles

Tides vary in strength and frequency. The gravitational pull of the Moon is stronger than the Sun, which is why we have daily cycles of tides. The moon exerts a greater pull on the Earth’s oceans and essentially pulls the oceans away from the Earth and toward the moon twice a day, producing two high tides and two low tides.

The strength of the tides changes depending on the phase of the moon and the day of the month. During a new moon phase and full moon phase, the gravitational pull of the Sun and Moon are at their strongest, creating a phenomenon called a spring tide – where the high tides are higher and the low tides are lower compared to neap tides, which occur between new and full moon phases, yielding a less powerful gravitational pull.

Tides are impacted by numerous other factors such as the position of the moon, the shape of the ocean basin, winds and storm surges as well.

In Conclusion

Tides are caused by the combined forces of the sun and moon’s gravitational pull coupled with the Earth’s rotation. The combination of these factors produces two tidal bulges—a high tide and a low tide—which vary in strength and frequency. Tides also slightly shift depending on the position of the moon and the day of the month. Armed with an understanding of what causes tides, we can stay in tune with nature and perhaps begin to appreciate the power of the cosmos a little bit more!