Gutenberg B. Physics of the Earth’s Interior

International Geophysics Series, 1959, Volume 1. Academic Press, New York, London, 1959. – 198 pp.
"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.
Conclusions and hypotheses concerning the earth's interior are in a state of flux. Some basic conclusions which ten years ago were considered to be practically certain, in recent years have been found to be incorrect. Many other fundamental problems, such as the origin of the earth, its thermal histoiy, the temperature, composition, and state of the core, or the so-called 20°-discontinuity in the mantle are just as controversial as they were one or two decades ago. Consequently, in many sections of the book the unsolved problems that are pointed out are more numerous than the reports of results which were apparently accomplished.List of Frequently Used Symbols
Fundamental Problems and Fundamental Data
The Structure of the Earth
The Mantle of the Earth
The Core
Temperature and Thermal Processes in the Earth
Density, Pressure, Gravity, and Flattening in the Earth
Elastic Constants, and Elastic Processes in the Earth
Nonelastic Processes in the Earth
Author index
Subject index