Overview

In 1906 Richard Dixon Oldham (1858-1936) established the existence of Earth's core and the importance of seismic data for studying the structure of the planet's deep interior. By observing ways in which seismic waves were reflected and refracted, different boundary layers were later identified. Differences in wave speeds also provided information about density and rigidity as a function of radius. Seismic analyses allowed Andrija Mohorovicic (1857-1936) to identify the core-mantle boundary (1910), Beno Gutenberg (1889-1960) to deduce the core boundary (1912), Harold Jeffreys (1891-...