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Alexander Zemtsov

Alexander von Humboldt’s ideas
on volcanism and their influence on Russian scientists

Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow

5. Conclusions:

1. A. v. Humboldt studied volcanoes at the time of a geophysical paradigm change – from a high-temperature liquid Earth interior model (approx. 1790) to a high-temperature solid Earth interior model (approx. 1840);

2. In his writings, Humboldt came close to the ideas of seismic waves as geophysical phenomena (see text and translator’s note in “Kosmos” (2nd Russian Edition), Part I (1862), p. 175);

3. Humboldt’s ideas on volcanism in Central Asia were denied by P. Semenov, whose conclusions were based on very limited field research data;

4. P. Kropotkin’s research in support of Humboldt’s views was neglected by the scientific community because of Kropotkin’s illegal revolutionary activities;

5. Humboldt’s idea of volcanic activity in Central Asia was supported by Russian geo-scientists in the 20th century.

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