How do tides rise and fall each day?

The Moon’s gravitational pull raises a bulge in Earth’s oceans on the side facing the Moon, while inertia creates a second bulge on the opposite side. As Earth turns, coastlines pass through these bulges and the water level changes. The Sun also affects tides, but its influence is weaker because it is much farther away. In most places, this creates two high tides and two low tides each day, though local geography can change the pattern.