WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Geophysical Union will unveil its latest book title, The Core-Mantle Boundary Region, at the 1998 Western Pacific Geophysical Meeting in Taipei, Taiwan, July 21-24.
The core-mantle boundary is the principal density interface within the Earth's interior. It is at this boundary that the two giant heat engines responsible for plate tectonics and the geodynamo interact. Scientists describe the region as being as dynamic as the Earth's outer skin, and seismological observations demonstrate that dense mantle dregs, or anti-continents, raft around the mantle's base, afloat on molten steel.
Editors Michael Gurnis, Michael E. Wysession, Elise Knittle, and Bruce A. Buffett present an interdisciplinary study of the core-mantle boundary in this volume. As with the plate tectonics revolution, this approach helps determine the state, history, composition, structure, and dynamics of the Earth's deep interior. The volume contains papers describing original and fundamental research in seismology, geodynamics, mineral physics, and geomagnetism.
The Core-Mantle Boundary Region is the outgrowth of the 1996
special session organized by AGU's Committee on Studies of the Earth's Deep Interior, called "Theoretical and observational constraints on the core-mantle boundary region." The meeting was organized to promote dialogue among various disciplines concerned with this rapidly developing field, and the diverse range of presentations ignited spirited discussions. Researchers who participated in the meeting, along with others who did not, were invited to contribute papers to this volume. With the publication of The Core-Mantle Boundary Region, AGU seeks to contribute to the understanding of this area of the Earth's interior, which plays a fundamental role in our planet's dynamics and evolution.
The Core-Mantle Boundary Region, a 340 page hardbound volume, is the latest in AGU's Geodynamics Series, and is available from AGU for $65.00. To order, call AGU from within the US at 800-966-2481 or from outside the US 202-462-6900, or visit the AGU web site: http://www.agu.org. Ask for AGU code GD0285307 (ISBN 0-87590-530-7).