Vladimir Vladimirovich Belousov

Soviet geologist
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Quick Facts
Born:
Oct. 17 [Oct. 30, New Style], 1907, Moscow, Russia
Died:
Dec. 25, 1990 (aged 83)
Subjects Of Study:
differentiation

Vladimir Vladimirovich Belousov (born Oct. 17 [Oct. 30, New Style], 1907, Moscow, Russia—died Dec. 25, 1990) was a Soviet geologist and geophysicist who in 1942 advanced the theory that the Earth’s material has gradually differentiated according to its density to produce the present internal structure of the Earth and that this gradual movement is the basic cause of movements of the Earth’s crust.

Belousov assumed direction of the department of geodynamics at the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R., Moscow, in 1942 and served as chairman of the Soviet Joint Geophysical Committee from 1961. He was also vice chairman of the International Geophysics Committee (1960–64) and president of the International Committee for Upper Mantle of the Earth Projects (1964–70).

This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.