Science Fact Finder | The Earth - Are There Tides In The Solid Part Of The Earth As Well As In Its Waters?

Are there tides in the solid part of the Earth as well as in its waters?

Yes, the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun does affect both the solid Earth and the oceans. The gravitational effect is stronger on the oceans, creating tides of up to several feet. The same force only pulls the solid Earth between 4.5 and 14 inches (11.4 and 35.6 centimeters).

Many people believe that tides are caused simply by water being pulled in the direction of the moon. However, if the process were this simple, only one high tide each day would take place. A high tide would occur only in water that had rotated to a position facing the moon. In reality, two cycles of high and low tides occur each day, roughly thirteen hours apart. High tides occur both where water is closest to the moon and on the opposite side of the Earth, where it is farthest from the moon. In the other places on Earth—which neither face nor...

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