Journey to the Centre of the Earth: A Scientific Exploration Into the Heart of Our Planet

Description

The journey to the centre of the earth is a voyage like no other we can imagine. Over 3,000 km below the earth's surface an extraordinary inner world the size of Mars awaits us. Dive through the molten iron of the outer core and eventually you will reach a solid sphere - an iron-clad world held within a metal sea and unattached to anything above. At the earth's core is the history of our planet written in temperature and pressure, crystals and minerals . . . Our planet appears tranquil from outer space. And yet the arcs of volcanoes, the earthquake zones and the auroral glow rippling above our heads are testimony to something remarkable happening inside . . . For thousands of years these phenomena were explained in legend and myth. Only in recent times has the brave new science of seismology emerged. One hundred and fifty years after the extraordinary, imaginative feat of Jules Verne's JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH, David Whitehouse embarks on a voyage of scientific discovery into the heart of our world.

Dr David Whitehouse is a scientist, journalist and the author of five books, including THE SUN, THE MOON and JOURNEY TO THE CENTRE OF THE EARTH. He is a fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and a regular broadcaster on science-related matters for the BBC and Sky News. Asteroid 4036 Whitehouse is named after him. Follow him on Twitter: @dr_david_w

We know more about the cosmos above our heads that about what's beneath our feet . . . Serving up intriguing information about the first seismoscope and the so-called 'deep diamonds', [Whitehouse] travels from the crust to the core, explaining everything from continental drift to the dynamo theory - FOCUS magazine A tour-de-force, utterly compelling. Whitehouse is terrific, a magical enthusiast - FINANCIAL TIMES on The Moon: A Biography A treasure-trove of science, speculation and anecdote about our star - NEW SCIENTIST on The Sun: A Biography Outstanding - DAILY TELEGRAPH on The Sun: A Biography