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Satellites of Jupiter
292
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 41(1986) 292—294
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam
—
Printed in The Netherlands
Book Reviews Venus. D.M. Hunten, L. Cohn, T.M. Donahue and
V.1. Moroz (Editors), University of Arizona Press, 1983, 1142 PP., $49.95 clothbound, ISBN 0-81650788-0. Satellites of Jupiter. D. Morrison (Editor), University of Arizona Press, 1982, 962 pp., $49.50 clothbound, ISBN 0-8165-0762-7. Splendid compendia about the solar system continue to roll out from the University of Arizona Press. These volumes maintain the high standard: in printing, in scholarly surveys of the different disciplines and in the almost overwhelming wealth of new data, yet succinctly summarised in figures and tables. One may regret that very few maps or pictures are in colour or even on art paper: in this field especially this is a real loss, It will come as a surprise to most geophysicists and others that so much is known about Venus. Russell and Vaisberg’s discussion of the interaction of the solar wind (comet-like rather than Earth-like) and the various accounts of the atmospheric composition and motions are examples. There are very full and informative accounts of the very successful series of Venera missions by Soviet scientists as well as the NASA missions. CompariSons between Venus and the Earth are attempted, notably in the chapter by Phillips and Maim on the interior and tectonic implications, but the conclusions so far are tentative, The volume on the Jovian satellites deals both with celestial mechanics (of its rings as well), with the atmosphere and magnetosphere interactions and with the interpretation of the surface cratering and the endogenic processes. Many of the principles of geology have found a new use in understanding the evolution of these satellites. One is left with astonishment that these Galilean satellites should have turned out to be such different bodies. The planetary science community is much inde-
bted to the dedicated work of Mildred Matthews as well as that of the Editors. S.K. RUNCORN (Newcastle upon Tyne, Gt. Britain)
The Earth’s Magnetic Field. R.T. Merrill and M.W. McElhinny, Academic Press Inc. (London) Ltd., 1983, 401 Pp., ISBN 0-12-49140-0 and ISBN 0-12491242-7 (Paperback).
Merrill and McElhinny have written a very useful survey of the present and past geomagnetic field, the record it has left in rocks and archaeological specimens and its interpretation by the dynamo theory. They also survey in the last two chapters what is known of magnetic fields in the rest of the solar system. The presentation is attractive and clear and the references to the literature are copious. The authors err, I think, in being too impressed by elaborate statistical analysis of large amounts of data as, for example, in determining the dipole moment variations over the last 12000 years. Similarly they underrate the importance of simple order of magnitude arguments which are especially important in the development of a field. It is quite extraordinary in a book which uses palaeomagnetism to shed light on continental drift to find no theoretical justification for the assumption that the average Earth’s magnetic field is a dipole aligned along the axis of rotation, although of course the palaeomagnetic evidence that it has been so in the last few tens of millions of years is thoroughly discussed. The electromagnetic coupling of the core and mantle which links geomagnetism with the Earth’s rotation is not treated and le Mouel and Cortihlot’s discovery of the geomagnetic jerk of 1969—I think the most important discovery in geomagnetism
Physics of the Earth and Planetary Interiors, 41(1986) 292—294
Elsevier Science Publishers B.V., Amsterdam
—
Printed in The Netherlands
Book Reviews Venus. D.M. Hunten, L. Cohn, T.M. Donahue and
V.1. Moroz (Editors), University of Arizona Press, 1983, 1142 PP., $49.95 clothbound, ISBN 0-81650788-0. Satellites of Jupiter. D. Morrison (Editor), University of Arizona Press, 1982, 962 pp., $49.50 clothbound, ISBN 0-8165-0762-7. Splendid compendia about the solar system continue to roll out from the University of Arizona Press. These volumes maintain the high standard: in printing, in scholarly surveys of the different disciplines and in the almost overwhelming wealth of new data, yet succinctly summarised in figures and tables. One may regret that very few maps or pictures are in colour or even on art paper: in this field especially this is a real loss, It will come as a surprise to most geophysicists and others that so much is known about Venus. Russell and Vaisberg’s discussion of the interaction of the solar wind (comet-like rather than Earth-like) and the various accounts of the atmospheric composition and motions are examples. There are very full and informative accounts of the very successful series of Venera missions by Soviet scientists as well as the NASA missions. CompariSons between Venus and the Earth are attempted, notably in the chapter by Phillips and Maim on the interior and tectonic implications, but the conclusions so far are tentative, The volume on the Jovian satellites deals both with celestial mechanics (of its rings as well), with the atmosphere and magnetosphere interactions and with the interpretation of the surface cratering and the endogenic processes. Many of the principles of geology have found a new use in understanding the evolution of these satellites. One is left with astonishment that these Galilean satellites should have turned out to be such different bodies. The planetary science community is much inde-
bted to the dedicated work of Mildred Matthews as well as that of the Editors. S.K. RUNCORN (Newcastle upon Tyne, Gt. Britain)
The Earth’s Magnetic Field. R.T. Merrill and M.W. McElhinny, Academic Press Inc. (London) Ltd., 1983, 401 Pp., ISBN 0-12-49140-0 and ISBN 0-12491242-7 (Paperback).
Merrill and McElhinny have written a very useful survey of the present and past geomagnetic field, the record it has left in rocks and archaeological specimens and its interpretation by the dynamo theory. They also survey in the last two chapters what is known of magnetic fields in the rest of the solar system. The presentation is attractive and clear and the references to the literature are copious. The authors err, I think, in being too impressed by elaborate statistical analysis of large amounts of data as, for example, in determining the dipole moment variations over the last 12000 years. Similarly they underrate the importance of simple order of magnitude arguments which are especially important in the development of a field. It is quite extraordinary in a book which uses palaeomagnetism to shed light on continental drift to find no theoretical justification for the assumption that the average Earth’s magnetic field is a dipole aligned along the axis of rotation, although of course the palaeomagnetic evidence that it has been so in the last few tens of millions of years is thoroughly discussed. The electromagnetic coupling of the core and mantle which links geomagnetism with the Earth’s rotation is not treated and le Mouel and Cortihlot’s discovery of the geomagnetic jerk of 1969—I think the most important discovery in geomagnetism