PRESS, FRANK

born Dec. 4, 1924, Brooklyn, N.Y., U.S. American geophysicist known for his investigations of the structure of the Earth's crust and mantle and the mechanics of earthquakes. After receiving his Ph.D. in geology from Columbia University in 1949, Press taught there for several years and continued his research. In 1955 he accepted a post at the California Institute of Technology as professor of geology, and from 1957 to 1965 he served as director of the institute's seismological laboratory. In 1965 he became professor of geophysics and chairman of the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge. He served as President Jimmy Carter's science adviser from 1977 to 1981. He returned to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1981. Press's works include studies of regional and submarine geophysics, planetary interiors, and seismology, including investigations of elastic wave propagation. His participation in the study of the Earth's crust during the International Geophysical Year (July 1957-Dec. 1958) enabled him to make an authoritative estimate that the North American continent is between 36.8 and 48 km (23 and 30 miles) thick. In that same year on another geophysical expedition, Press played a key role in determining Antarctica to be a genuine continent. Press was elected to the National Academy of Sciences in 1958. He coauthored Elastic Waves in Layered Media (1957) and Earth (1974).