In oceanography, spring tides occur during which lunar phases due to the alignment of the Earth, Moon, and Sun?

💡 Solution & Explanation

Spring tides occur during the new moon and full moon phases because the gravitational pulls of both the Sun and the Moon reinforce each other due to their straight-line alignment with the Earth, known as syzygy. Conversely, neap tides happen during the first and third quarters of the lunar cycle when the gravitational forces of the Sun and Moon act at right angles to one another.