Geophysics in the Affairs of Man : A Personalized History of Exploration Geophysics and Its Allied Sciences of Seismology and Oceanography

Geophysics in the Affairs of Man: A Personalized History of Exploration Geophysics and its Allied Sciences of Seismology and Oceanography describes many of the key and intriguing developments which took place within several major fields of geophysics. This book is composed of nine chapters that focus on the geophysical enterprise as an interplay of technical, social, and economic factors. After a brief overview of geophysics activity before the World War I, this book goes on the period of the so-called''golden days''of exploration geophysics. The succeeding chapter deals with the exploration geophysics during the global war, particularly the classical seismological activity during this time. These topics are followed by discussions of the geophysical activities from 1945 to 1960, as well as the introduction of oceanography field. Other chapters cover the interaction between geophysics and ecology, as well as OPEC during the period of 1970s and early 1980s. The final chapters consider the status and nature of geophysical exploration industry. This book will prove useful to geophysicists, historians, and researchers in the allied fields. Content: Related Pergamon Titles of Interest , Page ii Front Matter , Page iii Copyright , Page iv Acknowledgments , Pages v-vii Approximate Conversion Factors , Pages xv-xvi Prologue , Pages xvii-xx CHAPTER 1 - Some Antecedents to the Modern-day Profession of Geophysics Through World War I , Pages 1-16 CHAPTER 2 - Geophysics Comes of Age—The Roaring Twenties and the Depressing Thirties , Pages 17-46,46a,46b,46c,46d,46e,46f,46g,46h CHAPTER 3 - Geophysicists at War—1939–1945 , Pages 47-78 CHAPTER 4 - Reversion to Peacetime, 1945–1950 , Pages 79-100 CHAPTER 5 - The 1950s—A Burgeoning Era of Geophysics , Pages 101-159 CHAPTER 6 - Science in Government and Government in Science—the 1960s , Pages 160,160a,160b,160c,160d,160e,160f,160g,160h,161-239 CHAPTER 7 - Geophysics Interacts with the Environmentalists and OPEC—the 1970s and the Early 1980s , Pages 240,240a,240b,240c,240d,240e,240f,240g,240h,241-286,286a,286b,286c,286d,286e,286f,286g,286h,286i,286j,286k,286l,286m,286n,286o,286p CHAPTER 8 - Geophysics as a Business—Then and Now , Pages 287-381 CHAPTER 9 - Geophysics As They Saw It , Pages 382,382a,382b,382c,382d,382e,382f,383-426 APPENDIX A - Significant Events in the Evolution of Geophysical Service, Inc. and its Offshoot, Texas Instruments, Inc. , Pages 427-431 References , Pages 432-443 Name Index , Pages 445-478 Subject Index , Pages 479-490 About the Authors , Pages 491-492 Geophysics in the Affairs of Man describes how geophysics has affected human affairs, with emphasis on the geophysical enterprise as an interplay of technical, social, and economic factors. Many of the key and intriguing developments that took place within several major fields of geophysics are divided into seven epochs, roughly broken into decades. Topics covered include the origins of the profession of geophysics, earth physics and oceanography, and geophysical aspects of undersea warfare. This book is comprised of nine chapters and begins with a discussion on some antecedents to the modern-day profession of geophysics through World War I. The following chapters focus on the golden days of exploration geophysics; classical seismology during the war years; the growth of geophysics during the 1950s; and the nature of the geophysical exploration industry. The closing chapter presents the views of numerous geophysicists about what they consider the most outstanding actions they were ever involved in, as well as what makes the profession unique. This monograph is written primarily for geophysicists, geologists, and geological engineers. Charles C. Bates, Thomas F. Gaskell, And Robert B. Rice. Includes Indexes. Bibliography: P. 432-443.