lunar tide
Quick Summary
The lunar tide is the deformation of the solid Earth caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun as Earth rotates. While ocean tides are more noticeable, the solid Earth also experiences tides with a maximum vertical movement of about one foot.12
The Moon's gravity is the primary driver of tides, being about 2.2 times stronger than the Sun's. This gravitational pull causes water to bulge on the side of Earth facing the Moon and on the opposite side, resulting in two high tides and two low tides daily, approximately every 12 hours and 25 minutes. When the Sun and Moon align, their combined forces create larger spring tides. Conversely, when they are at right angles, neap tides occur with a smaller tidal range. Factors like continents and water depth create more complex tidal patterns.3
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