The Tides of the Chesapeake Bay
High tide occurs when the crest of a wave reaches its highest point along the shore. It's caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun on Earth's water
Low tide occurs when the lowest part of a wave, or the trough, reaches a coast. At low tide, the ocean is at its lowest point and the water is far away from the beach, leaving a large area of sand exposed
When the wind blows toward the south, it pushes water out of the Bay, resulting in lower high tides.
When the sun, moon, and Earth are aligned, causing higher high tides and lower low tides. Spring tides occur during new and full moons.
When the sun, moon, and Earth form a right angle, causing higher low tides and lower high tides. Neap tides occur during the first and third quarter moon.
King tides are natural events that occur when the sun, moon, and Earth align, creating stronger gravitational forces that raise the ocean's water levels.