ENGLISH

Thermodynamic Foundations of the Earth System

By Dr Axel Kleidon

Book information

Publisher
Cambridge University Press
Year
2016
ISBN
1107029945, 9781107029941
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
8 MB (8569214 bytes)
Pages
396\396
Topic
Geology
Time added
2017-09-18 19:47:32
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Description

Thermodynamics sets fundamental laws for all physical processes and is central to driving and maintaining planetary dynamics. But how do Earth system processes perform work, where do they derive energy from, and what are the limits? This accessible book describes how the laws of thermodynamics apply to Earth system processes, from solar radiation to motion, geochemical cycling and biotic activity. It presents a novel view of the thermodynamic Earth system explaining how it functions and evolves, how different forms of disequilibrium are being maintained, and how evolutionary trends can be interpreted as thermodynamic trends. It also offers an original perspective on human activity, formulating this in terms of a thermodynamic, Earth system process. This book uses simple conceptual models and basic mathematical treatments to illustrate the application of thermodynamics to Earth system processes, making it ideal for researchers and graduate students across a range of Earth and environmental science disciplines.

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