What Is The Effect Of The Moon On Tides?
The term ‘tides’ refers to an alternating rise and fall in the sea level in regard to the land, which is produced by the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon. As water is constantly moving, the Earth is unable to hold onto it, and the moon can thus pull at it. Every day, there are two low tides and two high tides. Prediction of tides is vital for coastal navigation as they cause changes in the sea’s depth and also give rise to oscillating currents which are known as tidal streams. The two gravitational forces of the moon and sun can, on a much smaller scale, cause tides in large lakes, in the atmosphere, and within the earth’s solid crust. It is interesting to note that the gravitational force that the sun exerts on the Earth is nearly 200 times more powerful than that which is exerted by the moon. However, the tidal force that is produced by the moon is approximately double in strength compared to that produced by the sun.
