Late Proterozoic and Paleozoic tides, retreat of the moon, and rotation of the earth
Science
By: C.P. Sonett, E.P. Kvale, A. Zakharian, M.A. Chan, and T.M. Demko
Links
- More information: Publisher Index Page (via DOI)
- Download citation as: RIS | Dublin Core
Abstract
The tidal rhythmites in the Proterozoic Big Cottonwood Formation (Utah, United States), the Neoproterozoic Elatina Formation of the Flinders Range (southern Australia), and the Lower Pennsylvanian Pottsville Formation (Alabama, United States) and Mansfield Formation (Indiana, United States) indicate that the rate of retreat of the lunar orbit is dξ/dt ∼ k2 sin(2δ) (where ξ is the Earth-moon radius vector, k2 is the tidal Love number, and δ is the tidal lag angle) and that this rate has been approximately constant since the late Precambrian. When the contribution to tidal friction from the sun is taken into account, these data imply that the length of the terrestrial day 900 million years ago was ∼18 hours.
| Publication type | Article |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Journal Article |
| Title | Late Proterozoic and Paleozoic tides, retreat of the moon, and rotation of the earth |
| Series title | Science |
| DOI | 10.1126/science.273.5271.100 |
| Volume | 273 |
| Issue | 5271 |
| Year Published | 1996 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | American Association for the Advancement of Science |
| Description | 5 p. |
| First page | 100 |
| Last page | 104 |
| Country | Australia, United States |
| State | Alabama, Indiana, Utah |