Michael E. Wysession

Michael E. Wysession is a Professor of Earth, Environmental, and Planetary Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, with a courtesy appointment in Environmental Studies. He is affiliated with the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences. His research focuses on seismology and geophysics, particularly the Earth’s core-mantle boundary, core structure, and forensic seismology for identifying seismic events like nuclear tests. He holds a PhD from Northwestern University and has led over 22 NSF-funded projects, alongside grants from the Packard, Kemper, Lilly, and Pew Foundations.

Research Interests: Wysession’s work combines computer modeling of seismic data to address Earth composition and dynamics. Key areas include the physical causes of mantle and crustal attenuation, intraplate volcanism, and seismicity analysis. He is renowned for creating the first map of the Earth’s core-mantle boundary and producing a 20-minute visualization of Earth’s seismic dynamics during earthquakes, available on his personal website.

Grants & Activities: Supported by extensive federal and private funding, his contributions bridge academic research and public outreach through courses, textbooks, and video lectures. He is part of interdisciplinary initiatives at the McDonnell Center, emphasizing planetary science and space studies.