You may have visited the ocean and enjoyed jumping the waves with your friends or family. Ocean waves are something that many who visit the ocean simply grew up thinking they’re just a natural part of this world.
However, have you thought about what causes ocean tides? Today we’re diving into this topic to help you better understand what causes ocean tides.
What are 3 things that cause ocean tides?
When the Earth, Moon, and Sun are in alignment the gravitational forces of the moon and sun are what help create the ocean tides.
There are low tides and high tides that occur naturally in the ocean waters. As the crest of the gravitational force reaches the coast it will either come through as a high tide or a low tide. High tide will reduce the amount of sandy beach you see, while low tide increases the sandy beach area.
As the Earth spins the gravitational force changes based on the location of the moon and sun to create the tides we’ve grown accustomed to seeing at our local beaches. The ocean waters are slowly rising due to climate change, which can cause more of your lovely beaches to reduce sandy areas.
Why do tides happen twice a day?
Since the Earth rotates through two tidal bulges, as the scientists call them, every day the ocean tides occur twice a day. We experience two low tides and two high tides each day from the various rotations of the Earth in relationship to the moon and sun.
What are the 4 types of Tides?
Three types of tides occur in our oceans. These include diurnal, semidiurnal, and mixed. The type of tide only refers to the pattern in which the water moves. This means that the type of tide is defined by the patterns of when the low and high tides occur, rather than the actual height of each tide.
You can find an app or website that lists the ocean’s current high tide and low tide times. This helps families plan the perfect trip to the beach. Most people enjoy spending a day at the ocean-side beach when low tide is occurring, as they have more sandy areas to lay in the sun or build sandcastles with.
As you can see gravity plays a key role in what causes the ocean tides. Gravity in connection with the location of the moon and sun in relation to our planet is what helps create the ocean tides we enjoy watching or jumping during a fun-filled beach day!