Gravity and expanding Earth

Abstract

The analysis of different clues indicating a variation of the local gravity (g) through geological time is performed. The examined data come from Astrogeodesy (PM and TPW), Paleogeography, Tidal torques, J2 variation, and paleogravity data from Geology. It is shown that a joint reasoning about all these data can constrain the possible variation rate of G, g and M (Earth’s mass). The result is that, albeit in the past great theoretical and experimental efforts were made in proposing and searching for G time-decreasing, a major role could be played by an increase of M. The present analysis converges toward an upper limit of the Earth’s mass variation in the order of magnitude of (dM/dt)/M = 10 exp(−9)/yr.