Spring tides - what are they and how are they caused?
by 
WHITE BEAR
ANSWERS: 3
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G'day Free Spirit, Thank you for your question. Around new and full moon time, the sun, earth and moon form a line. As a result, the tidal forces due to the sun reinforce those of the moon resulting in the tides range being at a maximum. They are said to be spring tides because the tides spring up rather than any association with the season spring. I have attached sources for your reference. Regards Wikipedia Tide http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spring_Tide#Other_tides Answers.com http://www.answers.com/spring+tide&r=67 Enchanted Learning The Tides http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/astronomy/moon/Tides.shtml the Moon and Tides http://home.hiwaay.net/~krcool/Astro/moon/moontides/
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Spring tides are nothing to do with the season. There are two sorts of tides, spring tides and neap tides. With spring tides high tides are higher and low tides are lower than neap tides, which are just,sort of, average. Tides are caused by the gravitational pull of the sun and moon on the earth. so the closer the alignment of sun and moon the higher the tide.
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Just a quick addition. Full moon spring tides, sun and moon are opposite sides of the earth, new moon tides that are both on the same side. Neap tides they are acting at right angles to each other and so minimising the effect.
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