# What has the moon ever done for us? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 17, 2007, 1:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-the-moon-ever-done-for-us/430286 "2007-12-17T01:43:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2007, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-the-moon-ever-done-for-us/430286/41 "2007-12-18T23:04:44Z")
[QUOTE=pravnik] Wine’s on me at the orgy, okay? [/QUOTE] You mean you will _furnish_ the wine, verdad? We are cool then. A merlot with tannins for me, please. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 19, 2007, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-the-moon-ever-done-for-us/430286/42 "2007-12-19T00:16:52Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train] No. Tidal energy is insignificant compared to the thermal energy–created by radioactive decay of uranium, thorium, and potassium–which drives the plate tectonics cycle. [/QUOTE] The only numbers I found are on Wikipedia, so take them with a grain of salt : [QUOTE=Wiki] **geothermal energy** (0.013%, or about 23 terawatts; or about 0.045 W m-2) This is produced by stored heat and heat produced by radioactive decay leaking out of the Earth’s interior. **tidal energy** (0.002%, or about 3 terawatts; or about 0.0059 W m-2) This is produced by the interaction of the Earth’s mass with the gravitational fields of other bodies such as the Moon and Sun. [/QUOTE] 3 terawatts is smaller that 23, but hardly insignificant by comparison. And the difference might very well be enough to largely shut down surface geology, by thickening the crust. Or if not shut down, change drastically. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-has-the-moon-ever-done-for-us/430286.md?page=2)