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Earth, Density Distribution

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Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

Definition

Except for iron meteorites, the Earth is the densest body in the solar system. As has been recognized for more than two centuries, it is, on average, about twice as dense as common surface rocks. But many of the early speculations on its internal structure were bizarre, ignoring the most basic physics and the simplest density information, and prompting a remark in one of the early papers on the subject with a sound scientific base (Oldham 1906): “Many theories of the earth have been propounded ... till geologists have turned in despair from the subject, and become inclined to confine their attention to the outermost crust of the earth, leaving the center as a playground for mathematicians.” Seismological studies, for which Oldham was one of the pioneers, have changed that by giving us a clear picture of the interior. But debates on many details and improvements in the methods of investigating them continue.

The Mean Density

The first well-informed estimate of the Earth’s...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Exploration and Mining, CSIRO, Kenmore, Australia

    Frank D. Stacey

  2. Earth and Space Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA, USA

    Paul M. Davis

Authors
  1. Frank D. Stacey
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  2. Paul M. Davis
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Frank D. Stacey or Paul M. Davis .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Seismology, National Geophysical Research Insti, Hyderabad, India

    Harsh K. Gupta

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Stacey, F.D., Davis, P.M. (2020). Earth, Density Distribution. In: Gupta, H. (eds) Encyclopedia of Solid Earth Geophysics. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10475-7_100-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-10475-7_100-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-10475-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-10475-7

  • eBook Packages: Springer Reference Earth and Environm. ScienceReference Module Physical and Materials ScienceReference Module Earth and Environmental Sciences

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