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.

---

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

We conduct research on earthquakes and tsunamis at the Alaska Earthquake Center, and one of us serves as Alaska state seismologist.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 19, 2026

Quigley, the Australia-based seismologist, said landslides and liquefaction are likely to have occurred throughout the region.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026

"We have our earthquake machine... Now we have to play with the parameters," said Frederic Massin, a French seismologist and technical expert, as he studied his screen for clues to what had caused the outage.

From Barron's ● May 11, 2026

On average, the UK experienced an earthquake "almost once a day" in 2025, seismologist Brian Baptie said.

From BBC ● Dec. 28, 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

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---