Mohorovičić discontinuity

[ moh-haw-roh-vuh-chich dis-kon-tn-oo-i-tee, -yoo-; -hoh- ]

nounGeology.
  1. the discontinuity between the crust and the mantle of the earth, occurring at depths that average about 22 miles (35 km) beneath the continents and about 6 miles (10 km) beneath the ocean floor.

Origin of Mohorovičić discontinuity

1
1935–40; named after Andrija Mohorovičić (1857–1936), Croatian geophysicist, who discovered it
  • Also Mo·ho [moh-hoh] /ˈmoʊ hoʊ/ .

Words Nearby Mohorovičić discontinuity

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British Dictionary definitions for Mohorovičić discontinuity

Mohorovičić discontinuity

/ (ˌməʊhəˈrəʊvɪtʃɪtʃ) /


noun
  1. the boundary between the earth's crust and mantle, across which there is a sudden change in the velocity of seismic waves: Often shortened to: Moho

Origin of Mohorovičić discontinuity

1
C20: named after Andrija Mohorovičić (1857–1936), Croatian geologist

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Scientific definitions for Mohorovičić discontinuity

Mohorovičić discontinuity

[ mō′hə-rōvə-chĭch ]


  1. The boundary between the Earth's crust and mantle, located at an average depth of 8 km (5 mi) under the oceans and 32 km (20 mi) under the continents. The velocity of seismic primary waves across this boundary changes abruptly from 6.7 to 7.2 km (4.1 to 4.5 mi) per second in the lower crust to 7.6 to 8.6 km (4.7 to 5.3 mi) per second in the upper mantle. The boundary is estimated to be between 0.2 and 3 km (0.1 and 1.9 mi) thick and is believed to coincide with a change in rock type from basalts (above) to peridotites and dunites (below). It is named after its discoverer, Croatian seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić (1857-1936).

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