EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH-MOON SYSTEM ACCORD ING TO EMPIRICAL-DATA AND THE MCDONALD-GOLDREICH THEORY

Astronomical and paleontological data on the lengths of year and synod ic month are used to study the features of the evolution of the Earth- Moon system. Decelerations of the daily rotation of the Earth and of t he Moon's mean motion, as estimated from empirical data, are compared with the results of calculations based on the McDonald-Goldreich theor y. It is shown that the balance of angular moments takes place only wh en the ratio of the lunar moment of tidal forces to the solar moment i s equal to 8. The changes of the tidal dissipative factor and of the E arth's polar moment of inertia in the geological past are calculated. The relation is established between the rotational behavior of the Ear th-Moon system and the global geodynamical processes in the Phanerozoa n.