Introduction to the Physics of the Earth's Interior (Cambridge Topics in Mineral Physics and Chemistry)

This book is about the inaccessible interior of the Earth. Physics of the Earth's interior has become a recognized discipline within solid earth geophysics and an important part of the current geophysical literature. Until now, however, there was no self-contained book that provides the background information necessary to understand the widely dispersed and sometimes controversial research about the structure, composition, or temperature of the deep Earth. Introduction to the Physics of the Earth's Interior intends to fill this role. Beginning with the basics and leading the reader step-by-step to the most recent developments in the science, the book opens with a succinct review of the fundamentals of continuum mechanics and thermodynamics of solids. The author next presents the theory of lattice vibrations in solids, and from this basis explains the origin of the various equations of state. The following two chapters are devoted to a discussion of the various melting laws and the phase transformations of the most prevalent mantle minerals. Transport properties, which are important to an understanding of the workings of the Earth, are dealt with in the next chapter. The author closes with a rich discussion of current seismological, thermal, and compositional models of the Earth. No special knowledge of geophysics or mineral physics is required, but a background in elementary physics is helpful.Jean-Paul Poirier is the author of 'Introduction to the Physics of the Earth's Interior (Cambridge Topics in Mineral Physics and Chemistry)', published 1991 under ISBN 9780521380973 and ISBN 0521380979.