Seismology
Use wave travel times, amplitudes and modes to infer elastic structure, faults and the deep interior.
Side 190Side Studies / Research
Subject
Geophysics
Purpose
Earth studied through gravity, seismic waves, heat, electromagnetism and physical models of its interior and crust.
Structure
05 movesMechanism mapV0
Entities → interactions → mechanisms → scales → measurement
Use physical signals to infer an inaccessible planet.
Geophysics reconstructs Earth's structure and dynamics from indirect measurements, making inverse problems central to the field.
Gravity & geodesy
Measure mass distribution, shape and deformation through gravity fields and precise surface motion.
Geomagnetism
Study Earth's magnetic field, its temporal variation and the dynamo processes of the liquid outer core.
Heat & rheology
Connect geothermal gradients, conduction, convection and rock deformation to long-term planetary dynamics.
Tectonic processes
Integrate physical measurements with plate motion, earthquakes and lithospheric structure across scales.
Keep the boundaries visible.
These separations prevent nearby ideas from collapsing into one another before the subject is understood.
seismic velocity ≠ material identity
gravity anomaly ≠ topography
plate motion ≠ earthquake prediction
Questions that organize the Side.
Use these to test whether the model is becoming explanatory rather than merely familiar.
How unique is an inferred Earth model given limited surface observations?
Which measurements constrain composition versus mechanical state?
How do short-lived seismic events reveal million-year tectonic processes?
What should carry weight here?
Treat inversion, uncertainty and non-uniqueness as first-class issues; combine seismic, geodetic, magnetic, thermal and geological constraints.