___ tide

Sure, I’d be happy to explain the term “NEAP” in the context of tides.

So, first, it’s important to have a basic understanding of tides. Tides are the regular rise and fall of sea levels caused by the gravitational forces of the moon and the sun on the Earth’s oceans. There are two main types of tides: spring tides and neap tides.

Spring tides occur twice a month, typically around the full and new moons. During these tides, the gravitational forces of the sun and the moon combine, resulting in higher than usual high tides and lower than usual low tides. This is because the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon on the Earth are in the same direction, and this creates a stronger tide.

Neap tides also occur twice a month, typically around the first and third quarter moons. During these tides, the gravitational pull of the sun and the moon are perpendicular to each other. This results in lower than usual high tides and higher than usual low tides. Neap tides are weaker than spring tides because the gravitational forces of the sun and the moon partially cancel each other out during this time period.

So, in essence, “NEAP” is the term used to describe these weaker tides which occur during the first and third quarter moons. Hopefully, that clears up any confusion you had about the answer to the crossword clue “___ tide“!