Tides raise and lower the level of Earth's oceans. Can they do the same for Earth's landmasses? Explain your answer.

The phenomena of tides are rooted in the concept of gravitational forces. Essentially, every object with mass exerts a gravitational pull on every other object. The Moon, being relatively close to Earth, exerts a strong gravitational force. Simultaneously, the Sun, despite being far away, impacts Earth due to its massive size. This dual gravitational influence is what creates tidal effects. For oceans, this means large water bulges forming towards the Moon and Sun.
Though gravity affects landmasses similarly, solid ground is less flexible than water. However, even Earth's crust cannot entirely resist these forces, though the effects are much smaller and require sensitive instruments to detect.

Earth tides, often termed 'crustal tides,' represent the deformation of the solid Earth's crust due to gravitational forces. While we observe ocean tides as noticeable rises and falls in sea levels, Earth tides are more subtle. They manifest as slight vertical and horizontal movements of Earth's crust.
Think of Earth's crust as a slightly flexible shell. The pull from the Moon and Sun causes it to stretch and shrink in tiny increments. This causes periodic movements in the crust, mostly imperceptible in everyday life but measurable with precise instruments. Earth tides underline the immense power of gravitational forces, even on seemingly immovable land.

Crustal deformation refers to the slight but significant shifts in Earth's crust due to external forces. These forces can be gravitational, as with tides, or tectonic, stemming from the movements of Earth's plates.
Gravitational forces cause minor elevations and depressions in the crust, akin to invisible ocean waves. While the oscillations are much smaller than in oceans, they prove that land isn't entirely unresponsive to the immense pulls of nearby celestial bodies.
Understanding crustal deformation is essential because it shows Earth's crust is dynamic, not static. Continuous observation helps geologists understand stress and strain on Earth's surface, valuable for predicting earthquakes and studying tectonics.