List of Geophysicists - M

M

• Gordon J. F. MacDonald (American, 1929–2002) – Investigated rotation of the Earth and true polar wander
• Jean-Jacques d'Ortous de Mairan (French, 1678 –1771) – shape of the Earth and aurora
• Robert Mallet (Irish, 1810–1881) – developed controlled source seismology; coined terms seismology and epicenter
• Pierre de Maricourt (Petrus Peregrinus) – (French, fl. 1269) – first extant treatise on properties of magnets; detailed study of the compass
• Edme Mariotte (French, 1620–1684) – one of the pioneers of modern hydrology; used floats to measure river flow
• Drummond Matthews (British, 1931–1997) – used ocean magnetic anomalies to confirm theory of seafloor spreading
• Motonori Matuyama (Japanese, 1884–1958) – first to show that a geomagnetic reversal had occurred in the past
• Dan McKenzie Mathematical framework for plate tectonics; mantle convection; sedimentary basin formation; Crafoord Prize
• Marcia McNutt (American, 1952–) – elastic strength of lithosphere; identified the South Pacific superswell
• Felix Andries Vening Meinesz (Dutch, 1887–1966) – Invented a precise gravimeter
• Giuseppe Mercalli (Italian, 1850–1914) – developed Mercalli scale for measuring earthquakes
• John Milne (British, 1849–1913) – invented the horizontal pendulum seismograph
• Andrija Mohorovičić (Croatian, 1857–1936) – identified Mohorovičić discontinuity;
• W. Jason Morgan (American, 1935–) – geodynamics, plate tectonics
• Jean Morlet (French, 1931–2007) – Developed the wavelet transform for exploration geophysics.
• Lawrence Morley used ocean magnetic anomalies to confirm theory of seafloor spreading