What is the primary cause of ocean tides?

The primary cause of ocean tides is the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun. The gravitational forces exerted by these celestial bodies create bulges in the Earth's oceans, leading to the rise and fall of sea levels as the Earth rotates. The moon has a significant influence due to its proximity, exerting a stronger gravitational pull on the water compared to the sun, even though the sun is much larger. This results in the phenomenon known as tidal forces, which cause high tides in areas of the Earth that are aligned with the moon and low tides in adjacent areas.

Tides occur approximately twice a day, influenced by the positions of both the moon and the sun relative to the Earth. During certain lunar alignments, such as during a full or new moon, the gravitational effects combine, leading to spring tides, which are higher and lower than average. Conversely, during the first and last quarters of the moon, when the moon is at a right angle to the sun relative to the Earth, the gravitational forces partially cancel each other out, resulting in neap tides.

In contrast to this, factors such as wind patterns and storms, temperature variations in water, and the Earth's rotation speed do not have the primary role in generating tides. While they can affect