Earth Scientist Flashcards
(30 cards)
Who is considered the “Father of Modern Geology”?
James Hutton (1726–1797), known for proposing the principle of uniformitarianism.
Who proposed the theory of continental drift?
Alfred Wegener (1880–1930), who introduced the idea of Pangaea.
Who discovered the structure of Earth’s core?
Inge Lehmann (1888–1993), who identified the solid inner core in 1936.
Who developed the theory of plate tectonics?
J. Tuzo Wilson (1908–1993), a key contributor to the modern theory of plate tectonics.
Who is known for the Mohorovičić discontinuity (Moho)?
Andrija Mohorovičić (1857–1936), who discovered the boundary between Earth’s crust and mantle.
Who is known for the Richter scale?
Charles F. Richter (1900–1985), who developed the Richter magnitude scale for earthquakes.
Who is known for the study of geomagnetism?
William Gilbert (1544–1603), who wrote ‘De Magnete’ and studied Earth’s magnetic field.
Who is known for the discovery of radiometric dating?
Arthur Holmes (1890–1965), who used radioactivity to date rocks and estimate Earth’s age.
Who is known for the study of stratigraphy?
Nicolas Steno (1638–1686), who formulated the principles of stratigraphy and superposition.
Who is known for the study of glacial cycles?
Louis Agassiz (1807–1873), who proposed the theory of ice ages.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s magnetic reversals?
Bernard Brunhes (1867–1910), who discovered evidence of magnetic field reversals in rocks.
Who is known for the study of deep-sea trenches?
Hess and Dietz, who proposed the theory of seafloor spreading in the 1960s.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s mantle convection?
Harry Hess (1906–1969), who contributed to the theory of plate tectonics and mantle convection.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s early atmosphere?
James Lovelock (1919–2022), who proposed the Gaia hypothesis.
Who is known for the study of volcanic activity?
Haroun Tazieff (1914–1998), a volcanologist who studied active volcanoes.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s magnetic field?
Carl Friedrich Gauss (1777–1855), who mathematically described Earth’s magnetic field.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s crustal deformation?
G. K. Gilbert (1843–1918), who studied faulting and mountain building.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s seismic waves?
Richard Dixon Oldham (1858–1936), who identified P-waves, S-waves, and the Earth’s core.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s mineralogy?
Friedrich Mohs (1773–1839), who created the Mohs scale of mineral hardness.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s geochronology?
Clair Cameron Patterson (1922–1995), who determined Earth’s age using lead isotopes.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s hydrothermal vents?
Robert Ballard (1942–), who discovered hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s paleomagnetism?
Keith Runcorn (1922–1995), who provided evidence for continental drift using paleomagnetism.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s geomorphology?
Grove Karl Gilbert (1843–1918), who studied landforms and erosion processes.
Who is known for the study of Earth’s seismology?
Emil Wiechert (1861–1928), who developed early seismographs and studied Earth’s interior.
