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Inge Lehmann

Earth Sciences

Inge Lehmann was a Danish seismologist who discovered that the Earth has a solid inner core, distinct from its surrounding liquid outer core. Analyzing seismic wave data recorded from a 1929 earthquake near New Zealand, Lehmann noticed that some seismic waves passing through the Earth's interior arrived earlier than the existing model of the Earth's structure, which assumed a single uniform core, could explain. In a 1936 paper, she proposed that the core is actually divided into two distinct parts, a solid inner core surrounded by a liquid outer core, with the boundary between them causing seismic waves to refract in a way that produced the anomalous early arrivals she had observed. Her hypothesis was later confirmed by further seismological studies and became a standard part of the accepted model of the Earth's deep interior. Lehmann worked for much of her career at the Royal Danish Geodetic Institute, continued active research into her nineties, and is widely regarded as one of the most significant seismologists of the twentieth century.

Facts
Birth YearSourced to the subject's own account
1888 1
Birth DateSourced to the subject's own account
1888-05-13 1
Death DateSourced to the subject's own account
1993-02-21 1
Death YearSourced to the subject's own account
1993 1
FieldSourced to the subject's own account
Seismology 1
NationalitySourced to the subject's own account
Danish 1
Notable WorkSourced to the subject's own account
Discovery in 1936 that the Earth has a solid inner core surrounded by a molten outer core 1
BirthplaceSourced to the subject's own account
Copenhagen, Denmark 1
In the Other Atlases
Sources
1. Inge Lehmann (Wikipedia)
Wikipedia
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 1 (birth date)
    Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 - 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 1 (birth year)
    Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 - 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 1 (death date)
    Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 - 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 1 (death year)
    Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 - 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth.
  • Early life, family and education section, sentence 1
    Inge Lehmann was born on 13 May 1888 and raised in Østerbro, a part of Copenhagen, Denmark.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 1 (nationality)
    Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 - 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 1 (field)
    Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 - 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth.
  • Lead paragraph, sentence 1 (contribution)
    Inge Lehmann (13 May 1888 - 21 February 1993) was a Danish seismologist and geophysicist who is known for her discovery in 1936 of the solid inner core that exists within the molten outer core of the Earth.
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