Karen Green, age 10, of Charlotte, NorthCarolina, for her question:

How are springy tides and neap tides different?

The high tides and low tides have a daily schedule, all around the world. They also have a monthly schedule that slightly changes the high tides, day by day. The highest high tides of the month are called spring tides. The lowest high tides of the month are called neap tides. The daily schedule has two sets of tides, a high and low tide then another high and low tide. The monthly schedule of high tides brings two higher spring tides and two lower neap tides.

The high high spring tides come when the moon is new and again two weeks later when the moon is full. In between these times, the high tides sink to their lowest level. These neap tides come with the quarter moon and two weeks later with the half moon. The tides are pulled by the gravity of the moon and the sun. The spinning earth sets their daily high and low schedules. The orbiting moon sets the monthly schedule of spring tides and neap tides.