The Physics of Planet Earth and Its Natural Wonders

Book excerpt: From earthquakes to the northern lights and tsunamis to glacier movement, the author explains thousands of phenomena in the world around us. All of this is done using language that is simple and understandable, and at the same time this book does not try to deceive the reader, as materials of this nature often do, but uses exact physical formulas where they are needed. This book serves as an invaluable reference for physics teachers and should inspire high school students to study physics. Many of them will very likely be able to understand that riveting events and phenomena lie behind those very same formulas that just yesterday seemed so boring. This is an excellent and unique way of easily submerging oneself into the world of science and a non-stop intellectual challenge that lures the reader in much more than any game of chess. Sir Andre Geim, 2010 Nobel Prize Laureate in Physics There are plenty of high school students who continue to find science interesting today. Dmitry Livanov’s book, which is both useful and held in high regard, is written precisely with these young people in mind. This book can be used by teachers who want to expand the narrow scope of subject material in their classes and enable students to broaden their perspective about how to apply the laws of physics in order to understand such a complex natural object as planet Earth. This book will be of interest to high school students and graduates of high schools, specialized high schools and preparatory schools who want to test their understanding of physics, astronomy and geography. This book strengthens the foundation of scientific knowledge in today’s world, which repeatedly tests the strength of the collective body of science. Evgeniy Yamburg, Member of the Russian Academy of Education Principal, School #109, Moscow Dmitry Livanov was able to write a book that is interesting both for those who are just beginning to become familiar with physics, and for those who for various reasons have forgotten much of what they knew at one time. He succeeded in doing this because he himself knows and loves physics and because physics—as the most important part of human culture—is interesting to him. I hope that readers of this book will not only recognize the usefulness and importance of physics, but also appreciate its beauty and allure. Andrey Furchenko, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Aide to the President of the Russian Federation