Physics and Chemistry of the Deep Earth, edited by Shun‐ichiroKarato. John Wiley & Sons, Chichester, 2013. No. of pages: x+402. Price: UK£85‐00. ISBN 978‐0‐470‐65914‐4 (hardback).

Abstract

It a pleasure to garner that we, as scientists, are still developing an understanding of our own planet's interior. The complexity, however, cannot be overstated. As such, a collection of papers such as are presented in Physics and Chemistry of the Deep Earth is, I am sure, difficult to totally appreciate even for scientists that are atop of their game. As an interested generalist, your reviewer can honestly claim a little confusion and a great fascination. Physics and Chemistry of the Deep Earth is a series of manuscripts arranged into three parts by 19 authors. Part 1, entitled ‘Materials' properties’, examines some of the ingredients that are essential and/or play an important role in the understanding of deep Earth. Part 2, ‘Compositional models’, details new and improved experimental methods which can only serve to enhance our knowledge of the interior. And Part 3, ‘Geophysical observations and models of material circulation’, summarises the geophysical and geochemical observations which serve to make clear the progress in mapping the deep Earth. This book effectively reviews and highlights the progress that has been made so far in our understanding of the physics and chemistry of the deep Earth. These studies rely on new experimental techniques and insights, on computational studies, seismology, geochemistry, interior earth modelling, imaging of the interior, rock mechanics and comparative planetology. This is a heady mixture and one of the strengths of this book is the way it pulls different strands together. It will hopefully engender more collaborative research in this broad field. This book is specialised and would be daunting for the casual reader with geological leanings, but it would be ideal for an advanced undergraduate or graduate level seminar course. And it is not a bad addition at all to the libraries of the purists amongst us.