Inge Lehmann: Danish Seismologist Who Discovered Earth's Solid Inner Core
By
Hooke
Toasted to a respectable shade. No regrets, no crumbs left.
Summary
Danish seismologist Inge Lehmann discovered that the Earth's inner core is solid, not liquid as previously believed, through her analysis of seismic wave data in the 1930s. Despite facing gender discrimination in the male-dominated field of seismology, she made this groundbreaking discovery while working largely alone in Copenhagen. Her work was part of the New York Times' "Overlooked" series highlighting remarkable people whose deaths went unreported.
Key quotes
· 4 pulledInge Lehmann, a Danish scientist who had eschewed marriage for her career and who worked largely alone in Copenhagen
She pointed to evidence that the Earth's inner core was solid — not liquid, as scientists had believed — a discovery that was ahead of its time
Seismology in the 1930s was a small world, almost entirely male
She overcame discrimination in the sciences to make important discoveries in the field of seismology
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