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Intraplate volcanism refers to volcanic activity that occurs within a tectonic plate, away from plate boundaries. Unlike the more commonly recognized volcanism associated with divergent or convergent plate boundaries, which involves processes like subduction or rifting, intraplate volcanism happens in the interior regions of tectonic plates.
Inner core super-rotation refers to a phenomenon related to the Earth's inner core, which is a solid ball primarily composed of iron and nickel. This phenomenon describes a situation in which the inner core rotates at a slightly different rate than the Earth's outer layers. While the outer core and the mantle rotate together with the Earth, studies have shown that the inner core can rotate faster or slower than the surface.
The geothermal gradient refers to the rate at which temperature increases with depth below the Earth's surface. Typically, the temperature rises approximately 25 to 30 degrees Celsius for every kilometer of depth in the Earth's crust, although this rate can vary widely depending on geological conditions.
Geophysical global cooling refers to a significant and sustained decrease in the Earth's average surface temperature on a global scale. This phenomenon can occur due to various natural and anthropogenic (human-caused) factors. Historically, the Earth has experienced periods of global cooling, often associated with significant climatic events, including ice ages, volcanic eruptions, and changes in solar radiation.
Geodynamics of terrestrial exoplanets refers to the study of the internal processes and physical properties of rocky planets outside our solar system (the so-called "terrestrial" exoplanets), as well as how these processes shape their geological features and landscapes.
A forebulge is a geological feature that occurs in the context of tectonic plate movements and the consequent loading and unloading of the Earth's crust. It refers specifically to a raised area or bulge in the Earth's surface that forms in front of a trench or subduction zone. This phenomenon is often associated with the flexural response of the lithosphere (the rigid outer layer of the Earth) to the weight of sediments being deposited in nearby oceanic trenches or as a result of tectonic stress.
The Expanding Earth hypothesis is a geological theory that suggests that the Earth has been gradually increasing in size over geological time. Proponents of this theory argue that as the planet expands, features such as continents and ocean basins change, leading to various geological and geographical phenomena. The idea challenges the more widely accepted plate tectonics theory, which describes the Earth's lithosphere as divided into tectonic plates that move over the more fluid asthenosphere.
Earth's internal heat budget refers to the balance between the heat generated inside the Earth and the heat that is lost to the surface and outer space. This internal heat comes from several sources: 1. **Radiogenic Heat**: The decay of radioactive isotopes in the Earth's crust and mantle (such as uranium, thorium, and potassium) produces heat. This is the predominant source of heat within the Earth.
Earth's crustal evolution refers to the processes and changes that have shaped the Earth's crust from its formation over 4 billion years ago to the present day. This evolution involves a combination of geological, chemical, and physical processes, leading to the development of the distinct layers of the Earth and the diverse geological features we observe today. Here are key aspects of Earth's crustal evolution: 1. **Formation**: The Earth's crust began to form shortly after the planet itself formed around 4.
Dynamic topography refers to the variation in the Earth's surface elevation due to dynamic processes occurring beneath the crust, primarily influenced by mantle convection and tectonic activity. Unlike static topography, which is determined by features such as mountains, valleys, and plateaus formed through geological processes like erosion and sediment deposition, dynamic topography changes over geological timescales because of movements within the Earth's mantle.
The Computational Infrastructure for Geodynamics (CIG) is a collaborative initiative that focuses on providing resources, tools, and frameworks for researchers studying geodynamics and related fields. It aims to advance the understanding of Earth’s structure, processes, and evolution by facilitating the development and application of computational models and simulations.
Augustus Edward Hough Love (1863–1940) was a notable British mathematician and geophysicist renowned for his contributions to mathematical theory and geophysical research. He is best known for his work on the theory of elasticity and for formulating Love waves, which are a type of surface seismic wave that occurs during an earthquake.
Alik Ismail-Zadeh is a prominent geophysicist and researcher known for his work in the fields of geodynamics, earthquake forecasting, and the effects of natural hazards. He has contributed significantly to understanding geophysical phenomena and has been involved in various international research initiatives and collaborations. Ismail-Zadeh has also been recognized for his academic contributions, including numerous publications and presentations in scientific forums.
Subduction is a geological process that occurs at convergent plate boundaries, where one tectonic plate moves under another and sinks into the Earth’s mantle. This typically happens when an oceanic plate, which is denser, collides with a continental plate or another oceanic plate. The descending plate creates a subduction zone, characterized by deep ocean trenches, volcanic arcs, and earthquake activity.
The United States Geological and Geographical Survey of the Territories was an early scientific organization established in the mid-19th century, primarily tasked with surveying the western territories of the United States. It was established in 1867, and its primary objective was to explore and map the western regions of the country, particularly areas that had recently come under U.S. control due to the westward expansion and the conclusion of the Civil War.
Triangulation in surveying is a method used to determine the locations and distances of points on the Earth's surface by forming and measuring triangles. This technique is fundamental in geodesy and land surveying, allowing surveyors to construct accurate maps and calculate distances without the need for direct measurement.
The Transcontinental Traverse is a long-distance adventure cycling route that typically spans across a continent, often aimed at guiding cyclists from one coast to another. One of the most well-known examples is the Transcontinental Race, which is an ultra-endurance cycling event that starts in one country and ends in another, such as the journey from the western coast of Europe to the eastern coast.
Retriangulation of Great Britain refers to a comprehensive geodetic surveying project initiated in the 20th century to redefine the triangulation network across Great Britain. This project aimed to improve the accuracy of measurements of the earth's surface in the United Kingdom following the original triangulation efforts conducted in the 19th century, which established a network of triangulation points used for mapping and navigation.
The Principal Triangulation of Great Britain is a geodetic survey that was carried out in the 19th century to establish a precise framework for mapping and surveying the entirety of Great Britain. Initiated by the Ordnance Survey, the project aimed to determine the positions of various points across the British landscape through triangulation techniques. The program involved the measurement of a network of triangles formed by measuring angles and distances between known points.
Pinned article: Introduction to the OurBigBook Project
Welcome to the OurBigBook Project! Our goal is to create the perfect publishing platform for STEM subjects, and get university-level students to write the best free STEM tutorials ever.
Everyone is welcome to create an account and play with the site: ourbigbook.com/go/register. We belive that students themselves can write amazing tutorials, but teachers are welcome too. You can write about anything you want, it doesn't have to be STEM or even educational. Silly test content is very welcome and you won't be penalized in any way. Just keep it legal!
Intro to OurBigBook
. Source. We have two killer features:
- topics: topics group articles by different users with the same title, e.g. here is the topic for the "Fundamental Theorem of Calculus" ourbigbook.com/go/topic/fundamental-theorem-of-calculusArticles of different users are sorted by upvote within each article page. This feature is a bit like:
- a Wikipedia where each user can have their own version of each article
- a Q&A website like Stack Overflow, where multiple people can give their views on a given topic, and the best ones are sorted by upvote. Except you don't need to wait for someone to ask first, and any topic goes, no matter how narrow or broad
This feature makes it possible for readers to find better explanations of any topic created by other writers. And it allows writers to create an explanation in a place that readers might actually find it.Figure 1. Screenshot of the "Derivative" topic page. View it live at: ourbigbook.com/go/topic/derivativeVideo 2. OurBigBook Web topics demo. Source. - local editing: you can store all your personal knowledge base content locally in a plaintext markup format that can be edited locally and published either:This way you can be sure that even if OurBigBook.com were to go down one day (which we have no plans to do as it is quite cheap to host!), your content will still be perfectly readable as a static site.
- to OurBigBook.com to get awesome multi-user features like topics and likes
- as HTML files to a static website, which you can host yourself for free on many external providers like GitHub Pages, and remain in full control
Figure 2. You can publish local OurBigBook lightweight markup files to either OurBigBook.com or as a static website.Figure 3. Visual Studio Code extension installation.Figure 5. . You can also edit articles on the Web editor without installing anything locally. Video 3. Edit locally and publish demo. Source. This shows editing OurBigBook Markup and publishing it using the Visual Studio Code extension. - Infinitely deep tables of contents:
All our software is open source and hosted at: github.com/ourbigbook/ourbigbook
Further documentation can be found at: docs.ourbigbook.com
Feel free to reach our to us for any help or suggestions: docs.ourbigbook.com/#contact





