"Nomen Nescio" wrote in message
...
"The mechanisms for the lunar recession have been well understood for
decades. In a nutshell, tides cause friction between the oceans and
the ocean floors, which transfers energy from the solid part of the
earth to the oceans. One of the effects of this friction is that the
tidal bulge is off-center, and is located "eastward" of the moon. (So
the high tide actually occurs when the moon is west of overhead.) The
Posted by Brad:

result of the tidal bulge being off center is that there is a torgue
effect placed on the moon, and this in turn transfers energy from the
earth to the moon. The earth's spin rate slows, the moon is speeded in
its orbit and therefor moves further away from the earth. (This
transfer of energy is essentially a transfer of angular momentum,
which is a conserved quantity.) The historical (over geological eras)
rate of recession has varied due to varying amounts of tidal friction
due to shallower or deeper oceans, and the positions of the
continents."

I can't believe that. I know Marilyn, the world's smartest woman, wrote
the
very same thing, but it CAN'T be true.

If the moon expends energy lifting water on earth, it has to lose energy
and slow down. This would make it orbit lower and lower until some day
gravitational tidal forces cause it to disintegrate and form a Saturn-like
ring around the earth.

If what you are saying was true, artificial satellites would gradually
spiral out into deep space. They don't. They fall down and burn up.


Artificial satellites are subject to atmospheric friction.