History of Deep Carbon Science
Cambridge University Press, December 2019
Academic historian of science Simon Mitton is writing A History of Deep Carbon Science from Crust to Core. It will deliver the first history of deep carbon science, identifying and documenting the key discoveries, the impact of new knowledge, and the roles of deep carbon scientists and their institutions from the 1400s to the present. The book carefully documents the significant discoveries made in the last two centuries on the physics, chemistry, and dynamics of the solid Earth and its carbon content, providing a historic look at what is known about carbon in Earth’s interior and insights into those who helped advance understanding.
Cambridge University Press will release this much anticipated book in the latter part of 2019.
Table of Contents
Chapter 1 | Why carbon in Earth matters |
Chapter 2 | The origin of carbon in deep space |
Chapter 3 | Deliveries of cosmic carbon continue |
Chapter 4 | On the nature of Earth's interior |
Chapter 5 | Earth's interior revealed |
Chapter 6 | Thousands, millions or billions, the question of timing |
Chapter 7 | Physics and chemistry of deep Earth |
Chapter 8 | Confronting the continental drift conundrum |
Chapter 9 | The Mid-Atlantic Ridge and its rift valley |
Chapter 10 | Earth’s deep dynamics discovered |
Chapter 11 | Reversals of fortune |
Chapter 12 | Deep carbon cycles, reservoirs, and fluxes |
Chapter 13 | Carbon bearing phases in the mantle |
Chapter 14 | Diamond in the mantle |
Chapter 15 | Deep life |
Bibliographic notes | |
References | |
Index |
About the Author
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closeSimon MittonHistorian
Simon Mitton is the author or co-author of 15 science books, the majority of which are in the fields of astronomy and planetary science. His history of science books include Fred Hoyle: A life in science (Joseph Henry Press, NAS Washington 2005; re-issued by Cambridge University Press 2011); Heart of Darkness: Unraveling the mysteries of the invisible universe (Princeton University Press, 2013); and an edited collection Cambridge Scientific Minds (Cambridge University Press, 2002). Mitton is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society, Fellow of the Geological Society, London, and Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.The International Astronomical Union named the Minor Planet 4027 “Mitton” as a joint award to Simon and Jacqueline Mitton for “the dissemination of astronomy” through their writing and editorial activities.