Abstract
PROCESSES originating in the interior of the Earth, such as thermal convection and gravitational instability, are not the only ones whereby energy is dissipated at a rate greater than that required to move lithospheric plates. The rate of loss of kinetic energy resulting from the deceleration of the Earth's rotation has been estimated at 7 × 1026 erg yr−1 (ref. 1); this is probably larger than the drag power on the plates.
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KNOPOFF, L., LEEDS, A. Lithospheric Momenta and the Deceleration of the Earth. Nature 237, 93–95 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1038/237093a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/237093a0
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