Stress Field of the Earth’s Crust is based on lecture notes prepared for a course offered to graduate students in the Earth sciences and engineering at University of Potsdam. In my opinion, it will undoubtedly also become a standard reference book on the desk of most scientists working with rocks, such as geophysicists, structural geologists, rock mechanics experts, as well as geotechnical and petroleum en- neers. That is because this book is concerned with what is probably the most pe- liar characteristic of rock – its initial stress condition. Rock is always under a natural state of stress, primarily a result of the gravitational and tectonic forces to which it is subjected. Crustal stresses can vary regionally and locally and can reach in places considerable magnitudes, leading to natural or man-made mechanical failure. P- existing stress distinguishes rock from most other materials and is at the core of the discipline of “Rock Mechanics”, which has been developed over the last century. Knowledge of rock stress is fundamental to understanding faulting mechanisms and earthquake triggering, to designing stable underground caverns and prod- tive oil fields, and to improving mining methods and geothermal energy extraction, among others. Several books have been written on the subject, but none has atte- ted to be as all-encompassing as the one by Zang and Stephansson.

Excerpt from Physics of the Earth's Crust The average temperature for the year is 86, R. Or 127, F. Prof. Milne, in Geol. Mag. N. 8. Vol. IV. P. 518. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

The fourth edition of Physics of the Earth maintains the original philosophy of this classic graduate textbook on fundamental solid earth geophysics, while being completely revised, updated, and restructured into a more modular format to make individual topics even more accessible. Building on the success of previous editions, which have served generations of students and researchers for nearly forty years, this new edition will be an invaluable resource for graduate students looking for the necessary physical and mathematical foundations to embark on their own research careers in geophysics. Several completely new chapters have been added and a series of appendices, presenting fundamental data and advanced mathematical concepts, and an extensive reference list, are provided as tools to aid readers wishing to pursue topics beyond the level of the book. Over 140 student exercises of varying levels of difficulty are also included, and full solutions are available online at www.cambridge.org/9780521873628.

Electrical conductivity is a parameter which characterizes composition and physical state of the Earth's interior. Studies of the state equations of solids at high temperature and pressure indicate that there is a close relation be tween the electrical conductivity of rocks and temperature. Therefore, measurements of deep conductivity can provide knowledge of the present state and temperature of the Earth's crust and upper mantle matter. Infor mation about the temperature of the Earth's interior in the remote past is derived from heat flow data. Experimental investigation of water-containing rocks has revealed a pronounced increase of electrical conductivity in the temperature range D from 500 to 700 DC which may be attributed to the beginning of fractional melting. Hence, anomalies of electrical conductivity may be helpful in identitying zones of melting and dehydration. The studies of these zones are perspective in the scientific research of the mobile areas of the Earth's crust and upper mantle where tectonic movements, processes ofthe region al metamorphism and of forming mineral deposits are most intensive. Thus, in the whole set of research on physics of the Earth the studies of electrical conductivity of deep-seated rocks appear, beyond doubt, very important.

The Indian National Science Academy was established in January 1935 with the objective of promoting science in India and harnessing scientific knowledge for the cause of humanity and national welfare. In 1968 it was designated as the adhering organisation in India to the International Council for Scientific Union (ICSU) on behalf of the Government of India. Over the years, the Academy has published a number of journals, volumes, biographical memoirs, etc. The year 2009–2010 will be specially celebrated to mark the Platinum Jubilee of the Academy. Many programmes are planned in different centres in India on this occasion. In addition, the Academy has decided to publish a number of special volumes on different s- jects ranging from earth sciences to life sciences. This volume is on Physics and Chemistry of the Earth’s Interior. One of the main objectives of geophysicists is to establish the internal structure of the earth as revealed by seismic tomography. It is also their primary goal to correlate geophy- cal data to reveal thermal and chemical state of the crust, mantle and core of the earth. In - der to interpret seismic velocities and associated density and elastic properties in terms of mineralogical and petrological models of the earth’s interior, thermodynamic and hi- pressure temperature data from mineral physics are essential. With the advent of different types of multi-anvil and laser-heated diamond anvil equipment, it is now possible to simulate conditions prevalent even in the lower mantle and core of the earth.