The Rotation of the Earth: A Geophysical Discussion

By Gordon J. F. MacDonald, Walter H. Munk, Gordon J. F. MacDonald

Book Overview

This book gives an account of certain observed irregularities on the rotation of the Earth, both in its rate of rotation (giving a variable length of day) and in the position of its axis. These irregularities are caused by events on and within the Earth and provide a means of studying a number of geophysical problems. Seasonal shifts in air masses and variable winds are causes of short-period fluctuations in the rotation. Climatic changes and their attendant sea levels are in part responsible for long-term fluctuations. Modern observations of the Moon and descriptions of ancient elipses both establish a secular increase in the length of day. The interpretation involves atmospheric, oceanic and bodily tides. The book provides a unified treatment of the rotation of the Earth, making this method of studying geophysical phenomena more readily accessible to geophysicists and others.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521104068
• ISBN13: 9780521104067
• Release Date: March 2009
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 348 Pages
• Weight: 0.97 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.5" x 8.5"