Tide (oceanography)

Tides are the regular rise and fall of sea levels caused primarily by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun on Earth's oceans. As these celestial bodies exert their gravitational forces, they create areas of higher water levels called high tides, and areas of lower water levels called low tides. The moon's influence is stronger because it's closer to Earth, leading to a cycle roughly every 12 hours and 25 minutes. Tides impact coastal ecosystems, navigation, and weather patterns, and their predictable patterns result from the interplay of gravitational attraction, Earth's rotation, and the positions of the Moon and Sun.