Evolution of the Earth and Other Planetary Bodies (PHYSICS AND EVOLUTION OF THE EARTH*S INTERIOR)

This volume of our series Physics and Evolution of the Earth's Interior introduces general ideas on the evolution of the matter in the Universe, on the evolution of the stars and galaxies and of the Planetary System. It brings also an insight into the evolution of the planets, especially of the planetary interiors, like core formation, heat transfer and formation of minerals.
This volume precedes the last one, Dynamics of the Earth's Evolution, that is more directly associated with the present-day evolution of the lithosphere and plate dynamics.
Approaching different problems of the evolution of the Earth and Planets, we were forced to look upon this evolution as a part of the evolution of the Solar System, or even further as a part of the physical evolution of matter. Abundances of chemical elements can be explained only when we go back to the formation of planets and earlier to the nucleosynthesis process. In studying the formation and growth of the Earth's core, it was necessary to make a comparison with other planets, which are at different relative age of development.
Two trends dominate in the research on the evolution of the Earth and the Planets. One, based on cosmology, is aimed at explaining their formation and early evolution. The other uses Plate Tectonics as a framework for describing more advanced evolutionary processes of their lithospheres and interiors.
In this volume we give a cosmological insight into evolution of the Planetary System and of the Earth.
The consecutive chapters present a synopsis of achievements of cosmology, a review of primordial nucleosynthesis and a discussion on formation of structures in the Universe--galaxies, stars and planetary systems, further, we present theories of planet formation and their early evolution: heat transfer, chemical and mineralogical processes, core formation and, finally, the generation of their magnetic field.

Text: English (translation)
Original Language: Polish