Robert Mallet
| Robert Mallet | |
|---|---|
| Born | 3 June 1810 Dublin |
| Died |
5 November 1881 (aged 71) Clapham, London |
| Nationality | Irish |
| Education | Trinity College in Dublin |
| Children | John William Mallet |
| Engineering career | |
| Institutions |
British Association for the Advancement of Science Royal Geological Society of Ireland Royal Irish Academy Royal Society |
| Projects | Fastnet Rock lighthouse |
| Awards |
Telford Medal (1859) Wollaston Medal (1877) |
Robert Mallet, FRS, MRIA (3 June 1810 – 5 November 1881), Irish geophysicist, civil engineer, and inventor who distinguished himself in research on earthquakes and is sometimes called the father of seismology.
Mallet was born in Dublin, on 3 June 1810, the son of factory owner John Mallet. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, entering it at the age of 16 and graduating in science and mathematics in 1830 at the age of 20.
Following his graduation, he joined his father's iron foundry business and helped build the firm into one of the most important engineering works in Ireland, supplying ironwork for railway companies, the Fastnet Rock lighthouse, and a swing bridge over the River Shannon at Athlone. He also helped manufacture the characteristic iron railings that surround Trinity College and which bear his family name at the base.
Mallet was elected to the Royal Irish Academy in 1832 at the early age of 22. He also enrolled in the British Association for the Advancement of Science in 1835 which helped finance much of his research in seismology.
In 1838 he became a life member of the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, and acted as its President from 1846–48.
From 1848–1849 he constructed the Fastnet Rock lighthouse, southwest of Cape Clear.
On 9 February 1846 he presented to the Royal Irish Academy his paper, "On the Dynamics of Earthquakes", which is considered to be one of the foundations of modern seismology. He is also credited with coining the word "seismology" and other related words e.g. the isoseismal map, which he used in his research. He also coined the term epicentre.
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