Transverse stress: Green's functions

The theory required to handle the deformations of the Earth by surface tractions is developed. Green's functions for displacement, strain, tilt, gravity, and potential are produced. Preliminary results show that transverse stresses caused by ocean tide loading of seafloor relief, principally, the continental slope, can generate continental strain tide perturbations of a few parts in × 10¹⁰. This is a few percent of the total tidal strain and is comparable in magnitude to perturbations from local topography, cavity, and structural effects.