seismologist

American  

[sahyz-mol-uh-jist, sahys-] / saɪzˈmɒl ə dʒɪst, saɪs- /

noun

1. a scientist who specializes in the study of earthquakes.

   By studying core samples taken from the ocean floor, seismologists can predict the likelihood of a major quake occurring on this fault line.

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Etymology

Origin of seismologist

First recorded in 1855–60; seismolog(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

A scientist who studies earthquakes is called a seismologist. If you're fascinated by tectonic plates, tsunamis, and everything else earthquake-related, you might want to become a seismologist. A seismologist is an expert in seismology, or the study of earthquakes. Both words are rooted in the Greek seismos, or "a shaking," and seismologists study the factors that lead to the extreme shaking caused by quakes. These scientists also investigate related events, like volcanic eruptions, connected with movements of the earth's crust and shifting tectonic plates, and predict when and where future earthquakes will occur.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

seismologist

Turkish seismologist Süleyman Nalbant led a recently published study concluding that stress had been loading for over two centuries on the fault responsible for the initial quake.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

Science minister and veteran seismologist, Renato Solidum, said many students n survived because they were attending the morning assembly, which happens every Monday.

From BBC ● Jun. 9, 2026

Benjamin Fernando, a seismologist and planetary scientist at Johns Hopkins University, happened to be in an Ohio city during the event.

From Science Daily ● Apr. 18, 2026

Since 1900, northeastern Afghanistan has been hit by 12 quakes with a magnitude above 7, according to Brian Baptie, a seismologist with the British Geological Survey.

From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2025

“We don’t know what we can’t detect,” said Seth Moran, chief seismologist at the CVO.

From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone