Geophysics applies the principles and methods of physics to the study of the Earth, covering its magnetic field, gravity, internal heat, and the seismic waves generated by earthquakes.
Facts
Founded YearCarl Friedrich Gauss and Wilhelm Weber founded the Gottinger Magnetischer Verein in 1836 with Alexander von Humboldt's support, coordinating the first systematic worldwide measurements of Earth's magnetic field from up to fifty-three observatories, an early landmark of organized geophysical research. Central QuestionWhat do the physical fields measurable at Earth's surface, gravity, magnetism, seismic waves, reveal about the composition and dynamics of a planetary interior no instrument can directly reach? 2 ScopeGeophysics applies the methods and quantitative techniques of physics to study the Earth, including its gravitational, magnetic, electrical and seismic fields, its internal structure, and near-Earth space. 2 SignificanceCarl Friedrich Gauss's 1830s mathematical treatment of the Earth's magnetic field, including the invention of the magnetometer to measure it with precision, gave geophysics one of its first rigorously quantitative branches, geomagnetism, decades before seismology or gravimetry matured to the same standard. 2 Connections
Founded By
Founder of the geomagnetism branch specifically, not of geophysics as a whole, which also includes seismology, gravimetry and other later branches.
Source Geophysics (Wikipedia)
Has Scientist
Source Geophysics (Britannica)
Source Harry Hess (Britannica)
Source James Van Allen (Wikipedia)
Source John Milne (Britannica)
Has Theory
Source Harry Hess (Britannica)
Studies
Source Magnetosphere (Wikipedia)
Uses
Gravimeter, Instruments The gravimeter measures small local variations in gravitational acceleration, used in geophysics for subsurface density mapping and geodesy.
Magnetometers are widely used for measuring the Earth's magnetic field in geophysical surveys.
Source Magnetometer (Wikipedia)
Source Magnetosphere (Wikipedia)
Source Geophysics (Britannica)
Sources
1. Gottinger Magnetischer Verein (Wiechert Seismological Observatory Gottingen)
Wiechert'sche Erdbebenwarte GottingenGauss house and earth magnetism sectionQuote, Gauss house and earth magnetism section
Gauss, with the support of Alexander von Humboldt, founded the Gottingen Magnetic Society, the center of which was the Earth Magnetic Observatory from 1836 to 1941.
2. Geophysics (Wikipedia)
WikipediaLead section
Geophysics is a physical science concerned with the processes and properties of Earth and its surrounding space environment, studied using quantitative and observational methods. It focuses primarily on Earth's shape and its gravitational, magnetic, and electromagnetic fields.
- Founded By: Carl Friedrich Gauss
View the Source Geophysics (Britannica)
Magnetosphere (Wikipedia)
Harry Hess (Britannica)
Encyclopaedia Britannica- Has Theory: Plate Tectonics
- Has Scientist: Harry Hess
View the Source John Milne (Britannica)
Magnetometer (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia- Uses: Magnetometer, Lead section
Uses: Magnetometer, Applications section
Magnetometers are widely used for measuring the Earth's magnetic field, in geophysical surveys, to detect magnetic anomalies of various types.
View the Source James Van Allen (Wikipedia)
What Is Geophysics? (EarthScope Consortium)
EarthScope ConsortiumEncompasses: Seismology, What is geophysics? pageQuote, Encompasses: Seismology, What is geophysics? page
This means that geophysics is a broad field with many applications and subdisciplines. Two large disciplines with long histories are seismology and geodesy.
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