What about the atmosphere?
I have always liked the lower-gravity concept; it seems to make much sense, for a number of things (not just dinosaurs). However, I have two comments in this regard:
1. From what I remember, atmospheric concentrations are directly related to gravity of a planet. Has any calculations been done on the possible atmospheric make-up of earth with 1/3 its current gravity?
2. Knowing whether a creature is bipedal or a quadroped, a geotechnical engineer could fairly easily determine the weight of a creature by the size and depth of its footprint in a known material. Has this been done yet?
Thanks!
Victor Fajardo
S. California
Answer: Both good questions but I don’t think either of these have been explored in detail yet. ... Almost forgot - I had some thoughts about the ancient atmosphere in the last chapter of my book.
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Growth rate of the Earth
A simplified method to calculate the mass gain of the Earth.
Way back in high school do you remember the concept of Limits of a function where the limit approached zero, or a number or infinity?
Well the same type of concept can be applied to the Rate at which the Moon moves away from the Earth. Stated as a limit: In the limit as the age of the Earth approaches a very large number (near 4.6 billion year), the growth rate of the Earth becomes proportional to one over the age of the Earth per year, and the recession rate of the Moon in millimetres per year is also proportional to one over the age of the Earth.
That is the total net movement of the Moon and the Earth, each relative to the common Earth-Moon Barycenter, is very nearly the exact amount necessary to keep the Earth = Moon system exactly in balance as the mass of the Earth increases each year.
The Movement of the Moon is the addition of the growth in the radius of the Earth in millimetres per year, not centimetres per year, plus the measured movement of 38.2 +/- 0.7 mm per year. The total is between 41.7 mm and 41.8 mm per year increase in the distance from the center of the Moon to the center of the Earth. This amount requires a mass change of 6 x 10^14 kg per year to raise the Moon. In addition the Earth must move toward the barycenter by a smaller amount which is about 0.3 mm per year. This movement also requires another 6 x 10^14 kg per year. Adding together, the total change in mass of the Earth is 2 times 6 x 10^14 = 1.2 z 10^15 kg per year, not the higher value of 10^16 kg per year as shown in "Dinosaurs and the Expanding Earth".
The age of the Earth, the recession rate of the Moon, and the annual change in the mass of the Earth are all interdependent calculations.
Simplifying 5.98 x 10^24 kg / 1.2 x 10^15 kg / year = 4.98 x 10^9 years. This is a little low as it needs to be as old or older than the average of the 70 meteorites that are used to age the Earth. If you use 1.3 x 10^15 kg per year you get an age of 4.6 x 10^9 years. close enough.
For recession rate 384,401 km / 41.7 mm per year = 9.22 x 10^9.
Remember half of the growth went to move the Moon, so the value will be twice the age of the Earth. 9.22 / 2 = 4.61 x 10^9 years. The value will be off a bit by the ratio of M1 / (M1 + m2) which as a number is 81.3005 / 82.3005 = 0.98785.
So 0.98785 x 4.61 = 4.55 x 10^9 years.
Again close enough.
What should be noticed here is that if you over estimate the growth rate of the Earth by a factor of 10, you cut the age of the Earth by a factor of ten, and the Moon would have to move away from the Earth ten times as fast as the current measured rate of recession.
The mistake is understandable in that the opening up of the sea floor spreading centers is measured in centimeters per year, not millimeters per year, but what is being missed is the thermal coefficient of contraction of the sea floor as the magma cools for many kilometers laterally away from the spreading centers on both sides. This contraction during a continuous cooling process greatly exadurates the actual spreading of the sea floor, and thus overstates the calculated increase in the radius of the Earth each year.
Mike Clark, Golden Colorado, USA
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A plausible mechanism
Here is my ideas on how an earth can expand.
Dark matter.
Dark matter has mass but does not interact with electromagnetic fields. This means that it can pass through electron orbitals. This means it can pass straight through earth. My guess is that dark matter is what composes ‘visible’ matter. So while it passes through earth, the intense pressure and heat assemble the dark matter into electrons, protons, and neutrons inside the earth. This newly constructed matter now has its own electromagnetic field pushing out the matter around it causing the earth to expand.
James ? South Jordan
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Dino size and meteors
Two thoughts,
First, when studying dino tracks in mud, has anyone ever thought the imprints reflect a lighter animal?
Second, if the earth was hit by a large meteor in the time of the dinos, how big does a projectile need to be to alter the rotation of a planet in orbit?
Oh, one more thought...isn't the whole universe expanding?
Debbie Chastain
Whidbey Island, Washington State
Satellite Imagery & Gravity
I will look for supporting docs from the wealth of satellite imagery. Surely if this is true there will be irrefutable satellite confirmation.
Another possibility as to the dinosaurs growing large, like the largest animal living today, the blue whale whose size is supported by its environment, water, is that gravity is a part of the force that on the subatomic level orders our universe.
Gravity is projected to be a resonance and as such it is within the realm of possibility that such a resonance was occuring that put gravity in abayence. Science fiction but interesting?
Kate Sisco
USA
A gradual Reduction in the speed of light
A gradual Reduction in the speed of light of the universe would be the same as an increase in Mass everywhere, an increase in gravity everywhere, an increase in the physical distance between the earth and moon. The change of speed of light in the universe IS the change in the curvature of spacetime of our universe.
Our universe is Flatening out. "Ice ages" are the rythmic bouncing of spacetime most likely caused by The AGN in the core of our galaxy. And I feel that our AGN will be letting off a little Steam Soon.
I also think we have very little time left to put our affairs, so to speak, in order.
E=MC^2
E=MC^2
E = (M*N)*((C^2)/N)
With a Reduction Of SOL..C, Mass Increases. The earth Grows.
Mass is Just an electromagnetic Field. Not particles. Mass's EM field Just Gets bigger.
David Fuller
California
Planet Earth
The Great Planet Earth
I am no scientist. In fact, it was my worst subject in school. Does one need to be a rocket engineer to understand the changes that have existed from Earth's Birth until present, or to foresee its future. By the way Earth does have a future unlike the rest of the planets in our solar system. Simple addition of the relitive explains this explicitly! Global warming and the overuse of oil is harming the natural process of Earth's cycles. I read with great interest your comments, but must disagree inpart. The Earth is only temporarily moving or pulling away from the moon due to expansion and growth inside the core. This has been going on since Earth's birth and shall continue on its journey for all eternity. It can be equated, and I do frown on using such an example to a women's life cycle. At least to me it seems very pausible. At this particular moment, the core is causing expansion,as the axis shifts one degree the icesheets become thiner,and meltdown occurs slowly. Still awed by earth's beauty, I see this as a natural course of events hastened by man's waste of all the natural elements, by pollution, the incorrect use of fission and fussion,and by this very exceptional invention that allows me to contact you with my thoughts. The Universe and Planet Earth, exspans and contracts! Earth rejuvenates itself every billion years. The last Ice age ended about 12,000yrs ago. On a timeline, this is exactly the length of time that an imaginary arm on the nuclear clock moves 1 degree. To some 1 degree seems insignificant, to others,that are attuned its a 'big deal'. It in itself can cause climate alterations. The existenting evidence that their is much more carbon dioxide in our air now is a sign that humans have effected the natural order of things but not as much thought,naturalorder of things will occur regardlessly.Change reforc, equals: Core=teutonic plates=inversion=expellsion=rebirth: can this alone trigger a new Iceage? Was this reason for the extinction of the Dinosaurs and not a comet or meateor? Can this in itself produce the NEW EDEN? A climate that is semi-tropical as it once was? If we were to make a timeline from Earth's birth through to this year,would we see,that expansion,growth, cataclysmic changes,upheaval,and climate changes, are simply Earth's Natural process. We as a species, can hasten this process or slow it down but we cannot alter that which has been for eons pre-ordained. When Earth was first Birthing, the moon was much farther away,the stars were in different positions then they are now. Isn't it possible that this is all just natural course of events? I envision the Universe as the INTERNET! A Web each Site has its very own globes of matter,stars etc. Don't laugh, I used to envision it as a WHEEL: JUST LIKE a Cog: A Universe that had become defunct for in the beginning, all the planets were in the same orbit as Earth or a bit
