Moon ‘Wobbling’ affects rising tides

Context

According to a study published, the phenomenon of wobbling is expected to lead to more flooding on Earth in the middle of the next decade.

What is wobble?

• The moon wobble is a regular swaying in the moon’s orbit.
• It was first documented way back in 1728.
• The moon’s orbital plane around the Earth is at an approximate 5-degree inclined to the Earth’s orbital plane around the sun.
• Because of this, the path of the moon’s orbit seems to fluctuate over time and completes a full cycle every 18.6 years (nodal cycle).
• It is one of the many factors that can either exacerbate rising sea levels or counteract them, alongside other variables like weather and geography.
• It is mostly circles and ovals, depending on the perspective.

What impact does this wobble have on Earth?

• The moon wobble impacts the gravitational pull of the moon, and it indirectly influences the ebb and flow of tides here on the Earth.
• Each wobble cycle has the power to amplify and suppress the tides on the Earth.
• It is expected that the upcoming changes in the lunar cycle will pose a serious threat, as it will amplify high tides coupled with the rising sea levels.

So where, exactly, does this wobble come from?

• At certain points along the cycle, the moon’s gravitational pull comes at such an angle that it yanks one of the day’s two high tides a little bit higher.
• High-tide flooding related to climate change is also expected to break records with increasing frequency over the next decade.