CompuServe Messages

Art: Hypothetical geothermal temperature gradients can be found in many references – you might try Ernst's "The Dynamic Planet" (Columbia University Press, 1990) for starters. For a more detailed discussion of heat flow, geothermal gradients, and deep earth structure, see "The Inaccessible Earth" by Brown and Mussett (George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1981). Be advised that temperature curves for the deep earth are necessarily estimates based on near-surface heat flow measurements, geophysical parameters, and assumptions about the chemical composition of the mantle & core (among other things). The temperature curves one might see in published references as listed above are *not* taken from direct measurements. Hope that this helps. Cheers, Scott M.