Influence of mantle anelasticity on the phase and amplitude of Earth tides

The effect of the anelasticity of the mantle on the phase and amplitude of Earth tides is calculated for recent models of the internal structure of the Earth and its rheological characteristics. The anelastic properties of the mantle are modelled by the Maxwell and Knopoff-Lomnitz rheological bodies. For numerical calculations two different methods of solution are used. Results indicate that the effect of mantle anelasticity on tidal amplitudes is practically zero. For both types of rheological models the phase shifts of the functions characterizing solid tides are small, none of them exceeding values of some minutes of arc. These phase shifts have a very weak dependence on the variation of attenuation and viscosity within the mantle. The present study is closely related to an important problem: what proportion of the observed tidal friction arises not in the ocean but is due to the anelasticity of the mantle? The results suggest that dissipation by solid friction at present is an insignificant, almost negligible component of tidal energy sink.