Basic Principles of Physics Applied to Earth Sciences
This textbook provides an introduction to physics for first-year undergraduate students of geology and related disciplines, such as Earth and marine sciences, environmental science and geography. The textbook covers all the topics traditionally included in basic physics courses, emphasizing the fundamental concepts of physics to explain various geological phenomena. While maintaining mathematical rigor, the book uses basic and intermediate math skills to enhance comprehension. One of the notable features of this book is the proposed methodology to consolidate the comprehension of physics in students of the geological sciences; unlike more traditional approaches that start with a specific geological problem, this textbook introduces and explains basic physics theories first, which are then applied to Earth science problems. The book's structure, with figures and solved problems in each chapter, is universally applicable, serving students and professors worldwide without regional constraints.
Maurizio Mattesini received his PhD in the physical chemistry of condensed matter from the University of Bordeaux (France) in 2001. After two years as a postdoctoral fellow in the Condensed Matter Theory Group at Uppsala University (Sweden), he joined the Department of Physics of Condensed Matter at the Universidad Autonóma de Madrid (Spain). In 2005, he started a five-year senior research fellowship (Ramón y Cajal) at the University Complutense of Madrid (UCM, Spain), becoming an associate professor in 2010. Currently, he is Full Professor at the Department of Earth's Physics and Astrophysics of the UCM, and a research fellow at the Institute of Geosciences (IGEO, Spain). A major focus of his research has been to understand the physical properties of the Earth's inner core from a multidisciplinary perspective.
"As a lecturer of Earth Physics for undergraduate students in Physics who faces the challenging task of striking a balance between the amount of physics vs geosciences within one semester, I can see an important potential use for this book: it offers a way for a physics student to step comfortably into a new field of geophysics by following a familiar path. And as the wonderful new world of possibilities materialises in front of the student’s eyes, they will embrace this book as an inseparable guide on their journey. I will use it myself in the Earth physics course I teach to enhance my students’ learning experience. In summary, I strongly endorse Mattesini’s book and highly recommend it to university libraries worldwide."
Professor Hrvoje Tkalčić Head of Geophysics and Director of the Warramunga Seismic & Infrasound Facility, Research School of Earth Sciences, the Australian National University
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