"Pale Moon rains. Red Moon blows. White Moon neither rains nor snows." For generations, people have watched the Moon for signs of changes in the weather. The Moon does, in fact, affect the Earth's climate and weather patterns in different ways.
The most obvious effect the Moon has on the Earth can be seen in the ocean tides. A world without tides would have very different weather systems. Tides are one factor that influences the movement of ocean currents, which move warm or cool water around the Earth. Thus, the water temperature changes. Warm ocean currents bring warmer and wetter weather, while cold ocean currents bring colder and drier weather.
The Moon is also thought to affect polar temperatures and contribute to fluctuations in the amount of Arctic ice. Tidal forces (潮汐力) act to break up ice sheets and change ocean heat flows, changing the amount of ice in the Arctic Ocean. Satellite measurements have shown that the poles are 0.55℃ warmer during a full Moon.
The Moon's influence, sometimes slight and sometimes strong, has had an important impact on life on Earth. Some scientists argue that it is the Moon that made life possible in the first place. The Moon makes the Earth move steadily as it is spinning (自转), helping to give us a steady climate. Without it, the Earth would lose balance. The Moon is our closest friend, without which the Earth would be a very lonely place.
