What Causes the Tides and How Are They Measured?

The tides happen because of gravity, just like when you pull on a rope, the Moon pulls on Earth’s water. When the Moon is close, it makes the ocean bulge out, that's high tide. When it moves away, it goes down, that's low tide. People measure tides using special tide gauges, which are like rulers in the water that tell how deep or shallow the sea gets.

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Examples

Imagine the Moon is like your friend pulling on a rope in the water, when they pull up, you get high tide. When they let go, it goes down.
A tide gauge is like a ruler that sits at the edge of the ocean and tells how much water comes or goes every day.
If you're swimming near the shore during high tide, the water might feel deeper than usual, that's because the Moon pulled up the sea.

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Categories: Environment · tides,moon,gravity,oceanography