Claim CE011:

Earth's rotation is slowing down, so it cannot be more than a few million years old.

Source:

Response:

1. The earth's rotation is slowing at a rate of about 0.005 seconds per year per year. This extrapolates to the earth having a fourteen-hour day 4.6 billion years ago, which is entirely possible.
   
   The rate at which the earth is slowing today is higher than average because the present rate of spin is in resonance with the back-and-forth movement of the oceans.
   
   Fossil rugose corals preserve daily and yearly growth patterns and show that the day was about 22 hours long 370 million years ago, in rough agreement with the 22.7 hours predicted from a constant rate of slowing (Scrutton 1964; Wells 1963).

Links:

Matson, Dave E., 1994. How good are those young-earth arguments? A close look at Dr. Hovind's list of young-earth arguments and other claims. http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/hovind/howgood-yea2.html#proof20

References:

Further Reading:

Rosenberg, G. D. and S. K. Runcorn (eds.), 1975. Growth rhythms and the history of the earth's rotation. New York: Willey Interscience.

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