Jean-Paul Montagner receives the “Inge Lehmann Medal” from the AGU (American Geophysical Union)

After studying fundamental physics, he turned his attention to the Earth Sciences and seismology in particular. He developed the theory for calculating the effect of anisotropy on seismic waves, and the tomographic methods that enabled him to obtain the first global anisotropic tomographic model of the upper mantle. The applications of anisotropic seismology in geodynamics are numerous, making it possible to map convection currents in the Earth’s mantle, and more locally, the roots of tectonic plates and continents, and the Earth’s stress and deformation fields from the crust to the core. More recently, he discovered the gravity anomalies associated with earthquake rupture phenomena, paving the way for the development of ‘light-speed’ seismology. By using seismic background noise, the mapping of temporal variations in anisotropy makes it possible to monitor volcanic and seismogenic zones and highlight new processes before, during and after earthquake events.

> Find out more on the AGU website