What Causes the Daily Rise and Fall of Ocean Waters?

The daily cycle is called a tide. Primary driver: the Moon’s gravitational pull, creating bulges in the ocean that rotate with Earth, producing high and low tides. The Sun’s gravity modifies this—alignment at new/full moons yields higher spring tides; at quarter moons, lower neap tides.

Coastal geography (bays, estuaries, underwater topography) amplifies or dampens local tidal ranges, creating diverse patterns worldwide.