author
John Milne
1850–1913
A pioneering scientist who helped turn earthquake study into a modern science, he built practical instruments and pushed for a worldwide network of observation. His years in Japan and later work on the Isle of Wight made him one of the key early figures in seismology.
2 Audiobooks
Earthquakes and other earth movements
by John Milne
Colonial facts and fictions: Humorous sketches
by John Milne
About the author
Born in Liverpool in 1850, John Milne trained at King's College London and the Royal School of Mines before working as a mining engineer and geologist. He is best remembered as a British geologist, mining engineer, and seismologist whose work gave earthquake research a far firmer scientific footing.
Much of his most important work grew out of his time in Japan, where he taught geology and mining and became deeply involved in studying earthquakes. He helped develop the horizontal pendulum seismograph, a major step toward the modern seismograph, and he was widely recognized for turning careful earthquake recording into a practical international effort.
Later, from his home at Shide on the Isle of Wight, he promoted a global network of seismological stations and continued to analyze earthquake data from around the world. Although not always widely known outside scientific circles, he has often been described as one of the founding figures of modern seismology.