In September, Solomon will oversee the Washington D.C.-based DTM, one of five research departments of the Carnegie Institution. The newly appointed director says his mix of expertise as both a seismologist and a planetary geophysicist will widen the focus of the lab staff of 50 to 60 people.
"The overriding philosophy of the Carnegie Institution is that the most significant advances in science come from the inspiration of creative individuals, and not from expert panels or government agencies," Solomon says. "I will, of course, continue that tradition--but will guide DTM to work on a broad spectrum of research."
He says the key to understanding how a planet's interior works is to investigate the causes and results of occurrences on the surface, such as quakes and volcanic eruptions.
Solomon is interested in learning about the seismographic properties of other planets, such as Venus and Mars, and says he is currently extremely ...
