Physics of the Earth's Interior

Physics of the Earth's Interior embraces such a wide range of properties and processes that the space available in one volume imposes severe limitations on their discussion. Moreover, the uneven familiarity of any geophysicist with the many fields of natural science which are involved favors their uneven treatment. For these reasons, the author has limited discussions related to gravity, terrestrial magnetism, tectonic processes, and the history of the earth, to such problems which, if solved, may give information on the earth's interior. On the other hand, seismological investigations are discussed only insofar as they bear upon the structure of the earth and the physics of its interior; seismology is to be treated in detail in another monograph of this series. The book contains nine chapters and begins with a discussion of methods of investigating the earth's interior, and the accuracy of the results. This is followed by separate chapters on the structure of the earth; the crust, mantle, and core; temperature and thermal processes in the earth; density, pressure, gravity, and flattening in the earth; elastic constants, and elastic processes; and nonelastic processes in the earth.