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spring tides and neap tides |
The exceptionally high and low tides that occur at the time of the new moon or the full moon when the sun, moon, and earth are approximately aligned are called spring tide. Spring tides occur when the sun and moon are directly in line with the earth and their gravitational pulls reinforce each other. A tide that occurs when the difference between high and low tide is least; the lowest level of high tide is called neap tide. Neap tide comes twice a month, in the first and third quarters of the moon. Neap tides occur when the Sun and Moon are at right angles to the Earth and their gravitational pulls counteract each other. |