Abstract
The horizontal force on a continent, at the land/ocean boundary, is calculated according to the concept of reflected tide waves, in which there is a time rate of change (reversal) of the linear momentum brought in by the tide to the continent. From the text books, the Stokes drift for surface gravity waves propagating in arbitrary constant mean depth, which is directly related to the linear momentum of the wave, is adapted to the tide wave by using the approximation that the wavelength of the tide is very much larger than the vertical length of the water column. This horizontal force is a maximum at full and new moon when the tide amplitude is greatest. Evidence is cited for the correlation of earthquakes at full moons. The tendency of the reflected tide force on the continents is to cause compression of the solid material in the horizontal direction and it is suggested that this possibly could trigger earthquakes occasionally.
Highlights
IntroductionAmong the various ways an ocean can be put into motion relative to the solid earth, the most commonly found are by: the wind generated gyre circulations, thermohaline processes and the tides
Evidence that continents can be considered compressible has been tied for three hundred years to the knowledge that the earth’s equatorial radius is significantly larger than the polar radius, and the thought that the root cause of this fact is due to the daily rotation of the earth about its axis plus the outward centrifugal force
A mechanical model is advanced to help explain these observations: a compressive force caused by the tides reflecting off continental boundaries. It is calculated by taking the time rate of change of the linear momentum brought to the continent by the tide
Summary
Among the various ways an ocean can be put into motion relative to the solid earth, the most commonly found are by: the wind generated gyre circulations, thermohaline processes and the tides. When an encounter occurs between moving ocean water and a continent standing still, if any compression is expected to take place, it must be in the solid because the fluid is incompressible. Somehow I became aware that there was a full moon at the time. There can be such a connection between the tides and the continents
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