Spring Tides And Neap Tides Flashcards
(11 cards)
What is a spring tide?
A spring tide is a type of tide that occurs when the Sun, Moon and Earth are aligned, resulting in the highest high tides and the lowest low tides of the lunar cycle.
What are the causes of spring tides?
Gravitational Pull of the Moon, Gravitational Pull of the Sun, and it occurs during the full and new moon.
When do Spring Tides occur?
Twice every lunar month (approximately every 29.5 days)
Does the tidal range increase during a spring tide?
Yes
What is a neap tide?
A neap tide is a type of tide with the least diffference between high and low water levels.
How do neap tides happen?
They occur when the gravitational forces of the Moon and the Sun partially cancel each othert out, resulting in weaker tidal effects. They also happen during the first and third quarter moon phases, where the sun and moon form a 90 degree angle relative to the Earth
When do neap tides occur?
They occur twice every lunar month (around 29.5 days)
Some characteristics of neap tides?
They create a low tidal range - high tides are lower than average, and low tides are higher than average.
Does the tidal range increase during a neap tide?
No, it decreases
Briefly, how would a neap tide diagram look like?
The sun would be next to the Earth, and the moon would either be above or below the Earth at exactly 90 degrees.
Briefly, how would the spring tide diagram look like?
The sun would be next to the Earth, and the earth would either be in between the sun and the earth or it would be after the earth. They all would be alligned.
