The Rotation of the Earth A Geophysical Discussion

This book gives an account of certain observed irregularities on the rotation of the Earth, both in its rate of rotation (giving a variable length of day) and in the position of its axis. These irregularities are caused by events on and within the Earth and provide a means of studying a number of geophysical problems. Seasonal shifts in air masses and variable winds are causes of short-period fluctuations in the rotation. Climatic changes and their attendant sea levels are in part responsible for long-term fluctuations. Modern observations of the Moon and descriptions of ancient elipses both establish a secular increase in the length of day. The interpretation involves atmospheric, oceanic and bodily tides. The book provides a unified treatment of the rotation of the Earth, making this method of studying geophysical phenomena more readily accessible to geophysicists and others.

Part I. Preview; Part II. Precession, nutation and wobble; Part III. Dynamics; Part IV. Deformation; Part V. Love numbers and associated coefficients; Part VI. Solutions to the approximate Liouville equation; Part VII. Observations of latitude; Part VIII. Observations of the length of day; Part IX. Seasonal and other short-period variations; Part X. Chandler wobble; Part XI. Historical variations; Part XII. Geological variations; Appendix; Bibliography; Index.

This book gives an account of certain observed irregularities on the rotation of the Earth, both in its rate of rotation (giving a variable length of day) and in the position of its axis. These irregularities are caused by events on and within the Earth and provide a means of studying a number of geophysical problems.