Heat Transport and Energetics of the Earth and Rocky Planets

Heat Transport and Energetics of the Earth and Rocky Planets provides a better understanding of the interior of the Earth by addressing the processes related to the motion of heat in large bodies. By addressing issues such as the effect of self-gravitation on the thermal state of the Earth, the effect of length-scales on heat transport, important observations of Earth, and a comparison to the behavior of other rocky bodies, readers will find clearly delineated discussions on the thermal state and evolution of the Earth. Using a combination of fundamentals, new developments and scientific and mathematical principles, the book summarizes the state-of-the-art. This timely reference is an important resource for geophysicists, planetary scientists, geologists, geochemists, and seismologists to gain a better understanding of the interior, formation and evolution of planetary bodies. - Provides an interdisciplinary approach to the understanding of the thermal evolution of large planetary bodies, including contributed chapters from leading experts - Includes relevant observations of Earth and large-scale heat transfer, a critical review of existing paradigms of the current thermal state of the Earth, and a discussion of heat flow on the other rocky planets - Covers macroscopic phenomena as they pertain to deciphering the thermal structure of planetary bodies

Anne M. Hofmeister is a research professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis. She received her PhD in geology from California Institute of Technology and has received several fellowships and awards. She has served as editor of American Mineralogist and was recently the keynote speaker at the European Conference on Mineralogy and Spectroscopy. Her research interests include heat transport, thermodynamics, interaction of light with matter, and the applications of those fields to planetary sciences, earth sciences, astronomy, and materials science. She has authored over 100 journal articles, including conference proceedings.