Mohorovicic discontinuity

The Mohorovicic discontinuity, sometimes abbreviated to the 'M' discontinuity or the 'Moho', is the boundary between the earth's crust and the mantle. The Mohorovicic discontinuity was first identified in 1909 by Andrija Mohorovicic by the abrupt increase in the velocity of earthquake waves at this point.

The location of the Mohorovicic discontinuity varies between about 5 kilometres beneath the mid-oceanic ridges to approximately 75 kilometres beneath continents.

See also Plate tectonics, subduction zone

References

• Harris, P., 1972, 'The composition of the earth', in Gass, I.G., Smith, P.J., and Wilson, R.C.L. (eds), Understanding the Earth: A Reader in the Earth Sciences. The Open University Press.
• Schlumberger Oilfield Glossary