The moon's gravitational field primarily causes:
Biology · High School · Sun Jan 24 2021
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The moon's gravitational field primarily causes tides on Earth. Tides are the rise and fall of sea levels caused by the combined effects of the gravitational forces exerted by the Moon and the Sun, and the rotation of Earth. The Moon's gravitational pull generates something called tidal forces. These forces cause Earth and its water to bulge out on the side closest to the Moon and the side farthest from the Moon. These bulges of water are high tides. As the Earth rotates, the area of high tide moves around the planet, so that any given area of the shoreline experiences the rise and fall of the sea over a period of about 12.5 hours (for most locations, as most coastal areas typically experience two high and two low tides every lunar day).