How Tides and Waves Occur | Full Moon Effects

The Moon is the closest celestial object to humans and significantly impacts Earth, particularly its oceans. Observing the Moon and sea waves together is more enjoyable when understanding the science behind them, especially concerning the effect of the Moon on sea waves during full moons and new moons.

Waves are formed when wind blows across the surface of the sea, causing water to vibrate up and down and move towards the coast. Tides refer to the rising and falling of the sea level. High tide is when the sea level is high, and low tide is when it falls. Both high and low tides occur twice a day.

The Moon's gravitational pull is the primary cause of tides. Due to a tidal force between the Earth and the Moon, the Moon attracts Earth's water, creating bulges. Where these bulges are high, it's high tide, and where it's low, it's low tide. The Earth's rotation results in two high tides and two low tides daily, though local geography also influences tide timing and height.

Contrary to popular belief, high tides aren't just during full moons; both waves and tides are higher during full and new moons due to the Sun's additional gravitational pull. When the Earth, Sun, and Moon align (during full and new moons), their combined gravitational forces create larger bulges, causing exceptionally high tides called spring tides.

Neap tides occur when the Moon is perpendicular to the Sun and Earth. In this configuration, the gravitational pulls of the Sun and Moon partially cancel each other out, resulting in lower tides. A common misconception is that the Moon's gravity is less during a new moon; however, the Moon is always present, and its gravitational pull remains constant, with the Sun's pull augmenting the tides during specific alignments.

While the Moon's gravity significantly affects Earth's oceans, it does not significantly impact the water in human bodies due to our proximity to Earth and the Earth's stronger gravitational pull. The Moon also plays a crucial role in slowing down Earth's rotation. Humans have harnessed this phenomenon for electricity generation and maritime navigation, using tides to aid ships entering and leaving port.