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Old August 17th 18, 08:14 AM posted to sci.astro.research
stargene
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Posts: 43
Default Actual linkage between tectonic-mantle motions and lunar recession speeds?

Is there an overarching link between the fact that, on the one hand: (1)
plate tectonic motions range typically between a few mm/year to about
100 mm/year, & (2) mantle convection speeds average roughly around
"..20 mm/yr.." (wikipedia entry)...and on the other hand: (3) the Moon,
due to tidal effects, is "..spiraling away from Earth at a rate of 3.8 cm/yr
[or about 38 mm/yr...me] per year (wikipedia entry) ?

Ie: Can these very similar values all have a common origin--perhaps in the
mutual spin and tidal interactions of the Earth-Moon-Sun system? The usual
driver for mantle (and plate) motion is said to be due to the heat flow and
the local geochemistry of the Earth's interior, and of course the decay of
several radionuclides. Ie: Is this similarity between (1, 2) and (3)
merely a quirky coincidence? Or, over billions of years, have all three
processes achieved some mutual energetics 'partitioning' balance?

[[Mod. note -- It's a coincidence. -- jt]]