Earth System Geophysics

With burgeoning global observation techniques, many of them fundamentally geophysical and global concerns, Earth science has evolved into Earth System Science, in which the surficial fluid components of the Earth System and their interactions with the entire Earth System are of prime importance. Geophysics has reflected this evolution, as we can see in the diverse fields of research now nurtured under the umbrella of the American Geophysical Union. But no comprehensive introductory geophysics textbook, suitable for geoscience or physical science majors, exists with an Earth System Science perspective. Earth System geophysics is not just geophysics with the atmosphere and oceans included, neither is it just geophysics with topics common to multiple components of the Earth System, such as isostasy involving the atmosphere and oceans instead of the solid earth, or low seismic velocity zones in the oceans and atmosphere instead of the solid earth included. Earth System geophysics most fundamentally recognizes that the natural world is characterized by a different, more universal paradigm than plate tectonics: convection, which every component of the Earth system exhibits, and which is sure to exist beyond our planet and beyond our Solar System.

Volume highlights include:

- discusses the geophysics of the Earth System rather than just the solid earth with an introduction to Solar System
- progression of topics is logical, starting with the solar system, atmosphere, and climate, then gravity, then seismology, Interior and Convection, finishing with heat flow, and back down to the core, with Geomagnetism concluding the book
- an Earth System Science approach with a gradual introduction and development of mathematical aspects
- extensive, mostly classroom-tested problem sets for each chapter, with homework ssignments that can make all the difference in whether a student masters the subject matter or not
- discusses Earth's mass and moment of inertia, with constraints on any earth model before discussing models of the interior (thus, gravity before seismology)
- investigates ways to estimate interior viscosity before considering how the mantle and core might flow
- explains the structure of the interior before considering how interior convection might have evolved (thus, seismology before heat flow)
- our understanding of convection in a geophysical context to the remaining member of the Earth System, the core