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The Earth's tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the Moon. The Earth bulges slightly both toward and away from the Moon. As the Earth rotates daily, the bulges move across the Earth. Since the Earth's water is more fluid than the land, it bulges slightly more, resulting in high tides. Understanding vocabulary words related to a topic helps us understand the content about the topic. If I know the main words used when talking about the topic of tides, I am able to investigate and understand what I am reading. Here are the vocabulary words that will help you as you search the websites on the topic of the Moon and tides. Tide The periodic variation in the surface level of the oceans and of bays, gulfs, inlets, and estuaries, caused by gravitational attraction of the moon and sun. High tide The tide when it is at its highest level at a particular time and place. Spring tides The highest tides reached under normal meteorological conditions (the spring tides) take place when the Moon and Sun are directly aligned with respect to Earth. Neap tides High tides are less extreme (the neap tides) when the Moon and Sun are at right angles. Storms and other meteorological conditions can greatly affect the height of the tides as well. Low tide The tide at its lowest level at a particular time and place. Source: http://www.thefreedictionary.com |