The M2 Tide

The M2 tide is the main component of the regular, predictable ocean tides caused primarily by the moon's gravitational pull. As the moon orbits Earth, its gravity attracts the ocean's water toward it, creating a bulge or high tide. On the opposite side of Earth, inertia causes another high tide. The area between these bulges experiences low tide. Together, these are the diurnal (daily) high and low tides, with the M2 tide accounting for about 60-70% of the total tidal variation, making it a dominant and predictable factor in tide patterns globally.