Walter Elsasser

Walter Elsasser is best known for formulating the geodynamo theory in the 1940s, which explains how Earth's magnetic field is generated. His work proposed that the field arises from the motion of electrically conductive liquid iron in Earth's outer core.

Elsasser's geodynamo theory proposes that convection currents of electrically conductive molten iron in Earth's outer core create a self-sustaining dynamo effect. The Coriolis force from Earth's rotation organizes these currents into spiral patterns that generate the planet's magnetic field.

Walter Elsasser developed the geodynamo theory during the 1940s, publishing key papers that laid the foundation for modern understanding of geomagnetism. His work revolutionized geophysics by providing a physical mechanism for Earth's magnetic field.

Walter Elsasser was a German-born physicist, born in 1904, who emigrated to the United States and made foundational contributions to geophysics. Before his geophysics work, he also contributed to quantum mechanics and the understanding of electron spin.