What is Seismology?

Seismology is the study of earthquakes and the elastic waves that they excite in the Earth. Accordingly, seismology is often subdivided into source and structure studies.  Source seismology seeks to understand earthquake slip and rupture, and in our lab we study source processes in stable continental interiors, icy shells, and the Moon and Mars. Structural seismology uses information carried by seismic waves about the temperature, pressure, density and composition in the deep interior of Earth and other planets. We focus on the analysis and modeling of individual wiggles that make up a seismogram and on quantifying the uncertainty of our inferences about interior structure and conditions.

Want University of Maryland logo with a seismic signal surrounding it.to know more?

  • You can read more about our current and former lab members here.
  • You can read more about some of our research here.
  • You can see a record of all our publications here.
  • Finally, you can access some of the open datasets we have produced here.

    There are a number of exciting seismological research opportunities for both undergraduate and graduate students at Maryland. Those interested are encouraged to contact the PI, Prof. Ved Lekic.

Scroll to Top