Preface -- 1. Origin and history of the Solar System -- 2. Composition of the Earth -- 3. Radioactivity, isotopes and dating -- 4. Isotopic clues to the age and origin of the Solar System -- 5. Evidence of the Earth's evolutionary history -- 6. Rotation, figure of the Earth and gravity -- 7. Precession, wobble and rotational irregularities -- 8. Tides and the evolution of the lunar orbit -- 9. The satellite geoid, isostasy and post-glacial rebound -- 10. Elastic and inelastic properties -- 11. Deformation of the crust: rock mechanics -- 12. Tectonics -- 13. Convective and tectonic stresses -- 14. Kinematics of the earthquake process -- 15. Earthquake dynamics -- 16. Seismic wave propagation -- 17. Seismological determination of Earth structure -- 18. Finite strain and high pressure equations of state -- 19. Thermal properties -- 20. The surface heat flux -- 21. The global energy budget -- 22. Thermodynamics of convection -- 23. Thermal history -- 24. The geomagnetic field -- 25. Rock magnetism and paleomagnetism -- 26. Alternative energy sources and natural climate variations: some geophysical background -- Appendix A. General reference data -- Appendix B. Orbital dynamics (Kepler's laws) -- Appendix C. Spherical harmonic functions -- Appendix D. Relationships between elastic moduli of an isotropic solid -- Appendix E. Thermodynamic parameters and derivative properties -- Appendix F. An Earth model: mechanical properties -- Appendix G.A thermal model of the Earth -- Appendix H. Radioactive isotopes -- Appendix I.A geological time scale 2004 -- Appendix J. Problems -- References -- Index.