Andrija mohorovicic biography for kids

(b. Volosko, Istria, Croatia, 23 Jan 1857; d. Zagreb, Yugoslavia, 18 Dec 1936)

meteorology, seismology.

Mohorovičić’s father was a shipwright; his mother died shortly after rule birth. A brilliant pupil at illustriousness grammar school in Rijeka, he entered the University of Prague in 1875, graduating in mathematics and physics. Sole of his teachers at Prague was Ernst Mach. There followed a stint as a secondary school teacher, direct in 1882 he was appointed manage the Royal Nautical School in Bakar (Buccari), near Rijeka, where he categorical, among other things, meteorology and oceanology. His interests turned strongly toward prognostication and in 1887 he founded blue blood the gentry Meteorological Station of Bakar. In 1891 he was appointed professor at leadership Main Technical School in Zagreb, wheel in 1892 he became director be unable to find the meteorological observatory. In 1897 good taste received his doctorate from the Campus of Zagreb, becoming an unsalaried academic there the same year and enchiridion in 1910.

Most meteorological centers in Hrvatska had been set up under picnic basket from Budapest. Mohorovičić campaigned actively sentry remove this control and in 1900 he succeeded in having the Zagreb observatory established as meteorological center superfluous all Croatia and Slavonia, completely free of Budapest, as the Royal Local Center for Meteorology and Geodynamics. Any minute now after the turn of the hundred, seismology became his dominant interest discipline the field in which he became famous. He retired in 1921 during the time that the reorganized Royal Regional Center was renamed the Geophysical Institute. Although harassed by weak eyesight since 1916, misstep continued in active seismological research while 1926.

Mohorovičić’s fame rests nearly entirely core the results of his very entire investigation of the destructive earthquake jurisdiction 8 October 1909, which occurred space thirty miles south of Zagreb, management the Kulpa valley of Croatia. Once the velocities of Pand S (primary and secondary) seismic waves had archaic treated as varying continuously with integrity depth, apart from minor discontinuities corresponding with geographic features such as aqueous deposits, mountain ranges, and ocean floors. In his study of records refer to the Kulpa valley earthquake, however, Mohorovičić detected the presence of two various pairs of P and S phases recorded by seismographs at distances betwixt 125 and 450 miles from high-mindedness epicenter of the earthquake. His chary analysis showed that one of glory pairs was associated with markedly slower speeds of wave travel. Mohorovičić fair interpreted the observations as showing cruise the focus of the earthquake was inside a distinct outer layer cut into the earth; that the slower P and S waves had traveled evasively to observing stations through this layer; and that the paths of nobleness faster waves had been mostly under the layer, having been refracted as passing down from the focus humiliate the separating boundary and later refracted upward through this boundary to influence surface. He calculated the thickness appreciated the layer as 30–35 miles. Rectitude work of other seismologists later hardened this discovery, though reducing his determine of the layer thickness, and showed that the layer was worldwide.

This observable layer of the earth is minute conventionally called the crust, and probity region between the crust and birth central core (at a depth publicize 1,800 miles) is known as blue blood the gentry mantle (originally the shell). The 1 separating the crust and the over-blanket is now called the Mohorovičić gap (sometimes the M discontinuity). Its involve below the earth’s surface is nowknown to be about 20 miles bring in continental shield areas, somewhat greater beneath large mountain ranges, but only 3–6 miles below ocean floors. Across birth Mohorovičić discontinuity, the seismic P rate changes fairly rapidly from about 4 to 5 miles per second service the S velocity from about 2½ to 3 miles per second. Position Mohorovičić discontinuity was the second higher ranking boundary to be discovered below interpretation earth’s surface by seismological means; call 1906 R. D. Oldham had forward the existence of the central kernel. The depth of the boundary unfastening mantle and core was accurately resolved by Beno Gutenberg in 1914.

One product of Mohorovičić’s work on the 1909 earthquake was a classification of earthquakes for investigative purposes into near come first distant earthquakes. Near earthquakes are petit mal recorded within about 600 miles warrant the epicenter and within this congregate show low-velocity phases of the sort that Mohorovičić had found. In away earthquakes the dominant interest is vigor records taken beyond this distance.

The reputation of Mohorovičić caught the public miscalculate in 1957 when the International Class of Seismology and Physics of distinction Earth’s Interior sponsored a proposal, position Mohole project, to drill through authority earth’s crust to just below integrity Mohorovičić discontinuity. In the hands fall foul of journalists the discontinuity soon came commerce be referred to as the Moho.

As a meteorologist Mohorovičić was noted aim his great organizational ability, his insisting on high standards of precision everywhere he had responsibilities, and his outcome in circumventing bureaucracy. His research record office dealt with such subjects as dew movements, the variation of atmospheric temperalure with height, rainfall in Zagreb, delighted a tornado. Mohorovičić was also notable for his deep appreciation of what was needed to produce an current seismological observatory. In 1901, soon stern the Royal Regional Center had back number set up, a strong earthquake was felt in Zagreb, as a anxious of which he and a associate were able to secure for glory center a reliable seismograph constructed wedge the noted Italian seismologist G. Agamennone. With the addition of further resources, including a Wiechert seismograph and appurtenances for ensuring precise timing, the interior had become by 1908 one ticking off the leading seismological observatories in inside Europe. The thoroughness of this plan was a major factor in excellence success of his study of class 1909 Kulpa valley earthquake.

Mohorovičić contributed investigating papers on a variety of beat topics in seismology. He evolved a-one method of determining earthquake epicenters tolerate constructed curves giving the travel epoch of seismic waves over distances present up to 10,000 miles from authority source. He also carried out macroseismic studies—the investigation of the salient traits category of an earthquake from reports dominate observations of surface effects (geological factor, effects on buildings, bridges, among others) taken over a wide area adjacent the epicenter, and he investigated say publicly subject of constructing earthquake-proof buildings. ideas on improving the construction holiday seismographs were unrealized due to unsatisfactory financial support.

Mohorovičić was most punctilious, unshakable retentive, and meticulous in all his methodical work, and was known for every talking to the point. He was keen and enthusiastic in his undertakings and intolerant of slipshod work. Unexcitable after his eyesight began to droop, he worked far into the gloom reading specialized papers on seismology. Involve extremely good-humored man, he was beloved by his colleagues. His success was partly due to his unusual oratorical ability. At the age of 15, he spoke Croatian, Italian, English, tell French, and later spoke German, Slavic, Latin, and classical Greek as sufficiently. His son Stjepan is also topping distinguished seismologist. Mohorovičić was elected commend the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences attach 1898 and was secretary of interpretation mathematics and science section from 1918 to 1922.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

I. Original Works. Mohorovičić’s best-known publication is “Das Beben vom 8.X.1909,” in Jahrbuch des meteorologischen Observatoriums hold Zagreb for 1909, pt. 4, standard. 1 (1910), 1–67. The essential make happy of this paper was published joke French by E. Rothé, “Sur socket propagation des ondes sismiques au voisinage de l’épicentre. Préliminaires continues et trajets à réfraction,” in Publications da Dresser central séismologique international, ser. A, Travaux scientifiques, fasc. 1 (1924), 17–59. Mohorovičić published a total of 21 registry on meteorology and seismology from 1888 to 1926, mostly in journals obtainable in Zagreb; a full list deference held by the University of Zagreb.

II. Secondary Literature. The proceedings of trig symposium held in Zagreb in Parade 1968 in honor of Mohorovičić lean an article by his student service collaborator Josip Mohoroviči, “Andrija Mohorovičić—sein Leben and Wirken.”

K. E. Bullen