Home›Disciplines›SeismologyDisciplinesSeismologysize-MOL-uh-jeeGeophysical ScienceCitation FormatsGeneral ReferenceGeneral Reference Citation TextEarth and Environment Atlas. "Seismology." Accessed August 30, 2026. https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/seismology.Copy General ReferenceAPA StyleAPA Style Citation TextEarth and Environment Atlas. (n.d.). Seismology. Retrieved August 30, 2026, from https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/seismologyCopy APA StyleBibTeXBibTeX Citation Text@misc{earthandenvironmentatlas-seismology, author = {Earth and Environment Atlas}, title = {Seismology}, year = {2026}, url = {https://earth.interactiveatlas.org/disciplines/seismology}, note = {Accessed August 30, 2026} }Copy BibTeXReference and ClassificationDevelopingThe study of earthquakes and the seismic waves that carry their energy through the Earth. Reading those waves is also how the planet's hidden interior, crust, mantle, and the boundary of the core, was first mapped.FactsCross-Tradition ConnectionsSourcesComments (0)Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)FactsCentral QuestionWell-attestedSeismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the generation and propagation of elastic waves through planetary bodies. 1ScopeWell-attestedSeismology studies earthquakes and the propagation of seismic waves through the Earth, using those waves both to assess earthquake hazard and to image the planet's deep interior. 1SignificanceWell-attestedRapid seismic location enables tsunami warnings, since seismic waves travel much faster than tsunami waves. 1Cross-Tradition ConnectionsAssociated WithGeophysics, Disciplines Well-attested Early seismometers are among the instruments geophysics grew from, and Earth's internal structure is central to both fields.Source Geophysics (Wikipedia)Has ScientistAndrija Mohorovicic, Scientists Well-attested Source Andrija Mohorovicic (Wikipedia)Beno Gutenberg, Scientists Well-attested Source Beno Gutenberg (Wikipedia)Charles Richter, Scientists Well-attested Source Charles Richter (Wikipedia)Clarence Dutton, Scientists Well-attested His 1889 report on the 1886 Charleston earthquake proposed a method for estimating an earthquake's focal depth.Source Clarence Dutton (Wikipedia)Inge Lehmann, Scientists Well-attested Source Inge Lehmann (Wikipedia)Includes1755 Lisbon Earthquake, Phenomena Well-attested Regarded as the founding event of scientific seismology; the first earthquake studied systematically across a whole region.Source 1755 Lisbon Earthquake (Wikipedia)1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes, Phenomena Well-attested Source 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes (Wikipedia)1906 San Francisco Earthquake, Phenomena Well-attested Source 1906 San Francisco Earthquake (Wikipedia)1960 Valdivia Earthquake, Phenomena Well-attested Source 1960 Valdivia Earthquake (Wikipedia)1964 Alaska Earthquake, Phenomena Well-attested Source 1964 Alaska Earthquake (Wikipedia)2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami, Phenomena Well-attested Source 2004 Indian Ocean Earthquake and Tsunami (Wikipedia)2010 Haiti Earthquake, Phenomena Well-attested Source 2010 Haiti Earthquake (Wikipedia)2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami, Phenomena Well-attested Source 2011 Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami (Wikipedia)2018 Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami, Phenomena Well-attested Source 2018 Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami (Wikipedia)Core-Mantle Boundary, Concepts Well-attested The boundary is observed via the discontinuity in seismic wave velocities at its depth.Source Core-Mantle Boundary (Wikipedia)Mohorovicic Discontinuity, Concepts Well-attested Source Andrija Mohorovicic (Wikipedia)Moment Magnitude Scale, Concepts Well-attested Source Moment Magnitude Scale (Wikipedia)Richter Magnitude Scale, Concepts Well-attested Source Richter Magnitude Scale (Wikipedia)Soil Liquefaction, Processes Well-attested Sources1. Seismology (Wikipedia)Wikimedia FoundationApplicationsQuote, ApplicationsRapid location of earthquakes makes tsunami warnings possible because seismic waves travel considerably faster than tsunami waves.View the SourceClarence Dutton (Wikipedia)Wikimedia FoundationHas Scientist: Clarence DuttonView the SourceComments (0)No comments yet. Be the first to share a thought.Sign in to join the discussion.Reader Challenges (0 open reader challenges)No disputes yet. Spotted an error or a better source? Open the first one.Sign in to dispute this or suggest a correction.View At A Past YearThe atlas records no dated fact of its own for this entry, so there is no other year to choose.Show This Year