GEOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Neap tides, which also occur twice a month, happen when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other.

Detailed explanation-2: -One week later, when the sun and moon are at right angles to each other, the solar tide partially cancels out the lunar tide and produces moderate tides known as neap tides.

Detailed explanation-3: -By contrast, during neap tides, when the Moon and Sun’s gravitational force vectors act in quadrature (making a right angle to the Earth’s orbit), the difference between high and low tides (neap range) is smallest. Neap tides occur at the first and third quarters of the lunar phases.

Detailed explanation-4: -Spring tides always happen when the Moon is at the full or new phase, which is when the Sun, Moon and Earth are in alignment. Neap tides occur around the first and last quarter phase of the Moon, when the Moon’s orbit around Earth brings it perpendicular to the Sun.

Detailed explanation-5: -Neap tides are tides that have the smallest tidal range, and occur when the Earth, the Moon, and the Sun form a 90° angle. They occur exactly halfway between the spring tides, when the Moon is at first or last quarter.