What causes tides?

Master the Navigation, Seamanship, and Shiphandling (NSS) – Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phase 2 Exam with engaging flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Prepare comprehensively for your test!

Multiple Choice

What causes tides?

Explanation:
Tides come from gravity acting on the Earth’s oceans. The Moon’s gravity is the primary driver because its distance is relatively small, creating bulges on the side of Earth nearest the Moon and on the opposite side as inertia pulls water away. As the Earth rotates, different areas move in and out of these bulges, producing the regular rise and fall of sea level. The Sun, though much farther away, is also enormous, and its gravity adds to or subtracts from the Moon’s pull depending on the relative positions of the Sun and Moon. When they align, tides are higher (spring tides); when they’re at right angles, tides are lower (neap tides). Local tidal ranges are further shaped by ocean floor topography and coastlines, but the fundamental cause remains the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. Wind and temperature differences don’t cause tides.

Tides come from gravity acting on the Earth’s oceans. The Moon’s gravity is the primary driver because its distance is relatively small, creating bulges on the side of Earth nearest the Moon and on the opposite side as inertia pulls water away. As the Earth rotates, different areas move in and out of these bulges, producing the regular rise and fall of sea level. The Sun, though much farther away, is also enormous, and its gravity adds to or subtracts from the Moon’s pull depending on the relative positions of the Sun and Moon. When they align, tides are higher (spring tides); when they’re at right angles, tides are lower (neap tides). Local tidal ranges are further shaped by ocean floor topography and coastlines, but the fundamental cause remains the gravitational pull of the Moon and Sun. Wind and temperature differences don’t cause tides.

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