Reduction of the radius and heat losses within the earth and other planets in light of recent data

Abstract

A reduction in the radius and considerable variations in the volume, surface area, mass, and average density of the earth were calculated from amplitudes of the Precambrian and present-day surface relief. Over a period of 4 Gyr, the overall reduction in the Earth’s radius from heat and mass losses was determined to be 52 km or 1.30 × 10−3 cm/year. At the same time, the gravitational contraction of the radius was estimated to be 52.0 km or 1.30 × 10−3 cm/year as well. A good correlation between the epochs of global cratonization of the earth’s crust and the reduction in the sphere volume was established. The inverse problem of calculating the heat flow from the gravitational contraction of planets was solved. The theoretical value for heat flow on the Moon’s surface (1.7 × 1018 J/year) is comparable to that measured by American astronauts (1.9 × 1018 J/year).