Contemporary Science Issues and Innovations
November 05, 2013 Belmont Media Center

Miaki Ishii, PhD, Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, and member of the Harvard Seismology Group. Professor Ishii's Website

When Jules Verne published his classic Journey to the Center of the Earth in 1864, practically nothing was known about the Earth's interior. By this time, Charles Darwin had published On the Origin of Species, weather maps had become available, and Maxwell's equations for electromagnetic waves were used. In contrast, views of the Earth's interior did not emerge until well into the 20th century. How did the Earth, which seems so accessible to humans, remain a mystery for such a long time? In this presentation, Professor Ishii discusses challenges and techniques for studying the deep interior, and takes the audience on a modern journey to the center of the Earth.

New York Times article about discoveries by Dr. Ishii and her colleagues: The Enigma 1800 Miles Below Us

American Museum of Natural History's interview with Miaki Ishii about the Japan earthquake: Imaging Japan's Earthquake

Dr. Ishii's presentation on Kavli Frontiers of Science Earthquake and Tsunami