Global seismic observations are essential for understanding earthquake mechanisms and for building a three-dimensional picture of Earth’s internal structure. Seismic waves generated by large earthquakes, in particular, travel through Earth’s deep interior and can be recorded at stations around the globe. This seismological information, together with other geophysical and geological data, can be used to infer Earth’s geologic history and also to study its present-day dynamics, such as mantle convection and plate motions.

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