Bruce Buffett on Probing the Earth's Core

10/21/20 • 25 min

Bruce Buffett is a Professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Science at the University of California, Berkeley. He investigates the structure and motions within the Earth’s core by matching physics-based simulations of the core to the observed magnetic field of the Earth.

Go to geologybites.com for diagrams that support this podcast episode as well as more about the Geology Bites podcast series.

Go to geologybites.com for diagrams that support this podcast episode as well as more about the Geology Bites podcast series.

Previous Episode

David Sandwell on Seeing Plate Tectonics Under the Oceans

David Sandwell uses satellites to make accurate measurements of the shape of the ocean surface. He explains how this enabled him to create a global map of the topography on the sea-floor. This revealed the global extent of classic plate-tectonic features, such as spreading ridges and transform faults, but also intriguing new features we still do not understand.

David Sandwell is a Professor at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.

Next Episode

Laurence Robb on Where our Mineral Resources Come From

So much of what we make starts with materials we extract from the Earth. Some of these materials make up only a tiny proportion of our planet, but fortunately for us, they are concentrated in certain places, which makes it possible to extract them in economically viable quantities. So how exactly do these materials become concentrated?

Lawrence Robb is a Visiting Professor at the Department of Earth Sciences at Oxford University. By analyzing the relationship between mineral deposits, principally in Africa and Asia, and our latest understanding of plate tectonics and mountain-building, he has unraveled the processes that formed some of our most important mineral deposits.

Go to geologybites.com for illustrations that support this episode as well as to learn more about the podcast series.