Early theories attributed earthquakes to relentless gods or pent-up air underground. The Lisbon quake of 1755 forced more scientifict hinking. Mitchell noted that quakes often correlated to volcanic areas, thought underground water was boiled by volcanic heat, and caused circular waves from the epicenter. Mitchell is considered founder of seismology.
A visual chronology of Asimov's ~1500 scientific inventions and discoveries.
