#tides #gravity #ngscience
What and learn about the causes of tides on Erath and the alternation of spring and neap times.

Tides are the rises and falls in sea level cause by caused by the gravitational force exerted on the Earth by the moon and Sun.

A spring tide, also called a king tide, occurs during new moon and full moon phases whereby the the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun are aligned. This results in extreme high and low tides.

Seven days after a spring tide are periods of moderate tides called neap tides. Neap tides occur when the moon and the sun are at right angles to each other.

The Ocean – Waves and Tides
The ocean covers more than three-quarters of the Earth’s surface. The ocean gives the Earth its blue appearance when viewed from space. The ocean is a diverse environment stretching from warm shallow coral reefs to the cold and dark deep ocean where no sunlight reaches the ocean floor.

The high amount of dissolved salts in the ocean means the water cannot be used for drinking or the many other ways people use fresh water.

The ocean is home to a great diversity of organisms that are adapted to living in salt water.

The water in the ocean is constantly moving. Waves form as wind blows across the surface of the ocean. This causes the water to move in a circular motion. Waves can slow down and stop as they lose energy or break when they reach shallow water or the shoreline.

The gravitational pull of the Earth’s moon causes tides. Tides are the rise and fall in the level of water in the ocean and other bodies of water connected to the ocean.