Beginning with basic principles, this advanced text gives a complete treatment of deformation and flow of earth materials from both the continuum mechanics and the microphysical viewpoints. It covers the role and consequences of rheological processes in geophysics and geodynamics in a quantitative and authoritative manner. The second edition of this successful text: provides the only unified treatment of the rheology of the Earth at this level, making it useful to students and researchers alike; includes discussions of seismology, mantle convection and plate tectonics; is completely up to date, providing a much needed account of thermal and mechanical processes in geodynamics.

This graduate textbook presents a comprehensive, unified treatment of the materials science of deformation as applied to solid Earth geophysics and geology. The deformation of Earth materials is presented in a systematic way covering elastic, anelastic and viscous deformation. Advanced discussions on relevant debates are also included to bring readers a full picture of science in this interdisciplinary area. This textbook is ideal for graduate courses on the rheology and dynamics of solid Earth, and includes review questions with solutions so readers can monitor their understanding of the material presented. It is also a much-needed reference for geoscientists in many fields including geology, geophysics, geochemistry, materials science, mineralogy and ceramics.

The science of rheology remains a mystery to most people, even to some scientists. Some respectable dictionaries have been quite cavalier in their attitude to the science, the small Collins Gem dictionary, for example, being quite happy to inform us that a Rhea is an three-toed South American ostrich, whilst at the same time offering no definition of rheology. This maybe due to the fact that the science is interdisciplinary and does not fit well into any one of the historical disciplines. This book contains an in-depth study of the history of rheology, beginning with the statements of Heraclitus, Confucius and the prophetess Deborah. It also emphasises the distinctive contributions of Newton, Hooke, Boltzmann, Maxwell, Kelvin and others, and culminates in the flourishing activity in the second half of this century. Features of this book: • Is the only book on the subject • Prevents the rediscovery of results already made • Will educate newcomers to the field to the rich heritage in even a relatively recent science like rheology. The book will be invaluable for science and scientific history libraries and will also be of interest to rheologists, and scientists working in the polymer processing, food, lubrication, detergent and similar industries.

The motion and deformation of rocks are processes of fundamental importance in shaping the Earth, from outer crustal layers to the deep mantle. Reconstructions of the evolution of the Earth therefore require detailed knowledge of the geometry of deformation structures and their relative timing, of the motions leading to deformation structures and of the mechanisms governing these motions. This volume contains a collection of 22 papers on field, experimental and theoretical studies that add to our knowledge of these processes.

Rheological Fundamentals of Soil Mechanics