Is the moon spinning off into space? Would it be better nearer or further away?

[Lancer]

BC, if we could somehow start the moon spinning, would the earth also start spinning faster?

[Dauphin]

No, my first thoughts would be that the Moon will receed more quickly (if spun in the same rotation as the Earth) or cause the Earth to spin more slowly (if spun in the opposite direction to the Earth).

[MichaeltheGreat]

Originally posted by Big Crunch


I don't see your point there. The Earth has been slowing down its rotation rate since the first moonrise. Its not heated up at any noticeable rate, and I don't see why it would start now.

The earth's core apparently has slowed down only a little, so there is significant friction between the differentially rotating areas in the earth's interior, leading to structural faults, tectonic activity, etc.

Study of the seismic history, tectonics, atmospheric composition and lack of magnetosphere of Venus (nearly tidally locked to the sun, but with slight retrograde rotation) offers at least a working hypothesis as to what will happen to earth as it's surface rotation continues to slow faster than the core rotation.

[Dauphin]

Originally posted by MichaeltheGreat


The earth's core apparently has slowed down only a little, so there is significant friction between the differentially rotating areas in the earth's interior, leading to structural faults, tectonic activity, etc.

I'm probably just being a dunce, but I'm not following to your conclusion.

Presumably, if the core has maintained a near constant rotation whilst the outer mantle and crust has slowed down, the amount of friction has been increasing gradually over the past 3 billion years or so. Now, if you are saying this leads to greater seismic activity then why hasn't such activity been increasing as a trend over the past 3 billion years? Or are you saying its a non-linear relation, and just like an elastic band will just snap, at some point in the future there will be a sudden and major rise in the number of earthquakes, volcanic activity, etc?

Study of the seismic history, tectonics, atmospheric composition and lack of magnetosphere of Venus (nearly tidally locked to the sun, but with slight retrograde rotation) offers at least a working hypothesis as to what will happen to earth as it's surface rotation continues to slow faster than the core rotation.

Venus heat is mainly due to greenhouse gases, not seismic activity. Are you implying that when and if the seismic activity on Earth increases it will spew forth CO₂ and other gases to such a degree that the atmosphere will predominantly greenhouse gases and not a Nitrogen-Oxygen mix.

I see your finger pointing, but I don't know what I'm supposed to be looking at.

[Provost Harrison]

Relax, if we are still around I am sure we can find another nice, cosy planet