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The Solid Earth

The Solid Earth

The Solid Earth

An Introduction to Global Geophysics
2nd Edition
C. M. R. Fowler, Royal Holloway, University of London
December 2004
Available
Paperback
9780521893077

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£55.99
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    The Solid Earth is a general introduction to the study of the physics of the solid Earth, including the workings of both the Earth's surface and its deep interior. The emphasis throughout is on basic physical principles rather than instrumentation or data handling. The second edition of this acclaimed textbook has been revised to bring the content fully up-to-date and to reflect the most recent advances in geophysical research. It is designed for undergraduates on introductory geophysics courses who have a general background in the physical sciences, including introductory calculus. It can also be used as a reference book for graduate students and other researchers in geology and geophysics. Each chapter ends with exercises of various degrees of complexity, for which solutions are available to instructors from www.cambridge.org/9780521893077. The book contains an extensive glossary of geological and physical terms, as well as appendices that develop more advanced mathematical topics.

    • The first edition was hailed by geophysicists as one of the outstanding texts in modern Earth Sciences
    • This new edition has been brought completely up-to-date to reflect the latest advances in geophysics
    • The book also contains an extensive glossary of terms, and includes numerous exercises for which solutions are available to instructors from www.cambridge.org/9780521893077

    Reviews & endorsements

    '… the second edition is significantly improved and augmented … More than ever this book stands out as both an excellent introduction for geophysics undergraduates and a valuable reference text for researchers …'. Astronomy & Geophysics

    'This fine new geophysics textbook will now be added to the top of my list of recommendations, as it promises to be excellent both for teachers and for those seeking a review of these processes from a geophysical point of view.' Nature

    ' … a superb, clearly laid out text. It covers a broad range of applied geophysics, from bulk Earth structure to the calculation of thermal histories in sedimentary basins.' New Scientist

    '… deserves to be acclaimed. It is a carefully balanced introduction to the physics of the Earth, and is likely to become quickly the textbook used in most classrooms. The main asset of this book is the good balance between geological applications and geophysical methods.' Geophysics

    'In summary, this book is an excellent text for a general introductory geophysics class focused on applications to the Earth rather than a rigorous presentation of techniques. I have enjoyed using this book in my beginning physics course with graduate and senior undergraduate students. It is also a useful reference book to have on the shelf.' EOS

    '… a first-rate, comprehensive text for teaching an audience of earth science students about the multidisciplinary approach that plate tectonics now demands.' Episodes

    'This is a book to be recommended to anyone, geophysicist, earth scientist, geologist, physicist or mathematician, interested in understanding the workings of the planet we know most about.' Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors

    'This is an excellent textbook and it is a must for anyone seriously wanting to study geophysics … Even for those who just enjoy geophysics it is a great reference and the glossary is invaluable.' Open University Geological Society

    'The book provides an exciting review of a decade of advances and improved comprehension of the interior working of the Earth. It is truly a wonderful text and a source of reference fro many facts in the field of geoscience.' Environmental Geology

    'To summarise, Mary Fowler's book is an outstanding work that I strongly recommend to each library and that I advise each geology student to read. As picturesque, informative and scientifically satisfying as the earlier version of the book … .' Journal of Sedimentary Research

    See more reviews

    Product details

    December 2004
    Paperback
    9780521893077
    728 pages
    250 × 195 × 45 mm
    1.975kg
    384 b/w illus. 31 colour illus. 31 tables 143 exercises
    Available

    Table of Contents

    • Preface
    • Acknowledgements
    • Sources
    • 1. Introduction
    • 2. Tectonics on a sphere: the geometry of plate tectonics
    • 3. Past plate motions
    • 4. Seismology: measuring the interior
    • 5. Gravity
    • 6. Geochronology
    • 7. Heat
    • 8. The deep interior of the Earth
    • 9. The oceanic lithosphere: ridges, transforms, trenches and oceanic islands
    • 10. The continental lithosphere
    • A1. Scalars, vector and differential operators
    • A2. Theory of elasticity and elastic waves
    • A3. Geometry of ray paths and inversion of earthquakes body wave time-distance curves
    • A4. The least-squares method
    • A5. The error function
    • A6. Units and symbols
    • A7. Numerical data
    • A8. IASP91 Earth model
    • A9. Preliminary reference Earth model isotropic version - PREM
    • Glossary
    • Index.
      Author
    • C. M. R. Fowler , Royal Holloway, University of London

      Mary Fowler is a Professor and Head of the Department of Geology at Royal Holloway, University of London.