Physics for Geologists, Second edition

xvi Preface
provides. This book is intended as a help to students of general geology, to
those who thought they would not need their school physics any more and
to those who did less than they now need. The purpose is to improve their
understanding of geology by improving the understanding of the physics
involved in geology and geological processes. If you find any errors, inac-
curacies, or unclear passages, please write to the author. That would be
a valuable service for the author and, perhaps, future students.
The contents are not exclusively directed to aspects of geology. Some topics
come under the heading of general knowledge of the Earth and Universe for
physical scientists. Kepler's and Newton's laws of motion come into this
category perhaps, but it is a very good starting point for understanding
force, not just for understanding the orbits of planets and their satellites.
Momentum is important when considering the effects of a collision between
the Earth and another celestial object.
Readers will notice that many of the scientific principles were established
three or four centuries ago, and that some names reappear in different con-
texts. Although Newtonian physics may not satisfy a physicist, it is entirely
satisfactory for geologists and geology when dealing with all but particles. It
is very rare nowadays for any scientist to make a mark in more than one field,
but science today requires the broadest possible understanding of scientific
disciplines if we are to solve the problems that cannot be confined to one
field.
Copyright 2002 by Richard E. Chapman