Introduction
The Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth of the Russian Academy of Sciences (IPE RAS) is one of the most prominent centers of global and national geophysics. It performs a wide range of fundamental and applied research of physics of the Earth. The Institute, founded in 1928, is one of the oldest scientific institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It has built renowned academic schools in geophysics, seismology, experimental geophysics and geo-electromagnetic research.The Institute plays a leading part in studying physical processes in the Earth’s interior, developing models of dynamics and internal structure of the Earth, studying seismicity of the Earth and physics of seismic focuses, seismic zoning, developing the theory and information technology of interpreting geophysical data. IPE specialists study physical fields of the Earth, aspects of paleomagnetism and magnetic properties of earth materials, develop methods of geophysical monitoring for predicting natural and human-induced hazards, investigate problems of geogenesis and early history of the Earth. They also hold systematic research in mathematical geophysics and create databases and databanks on physics of the Earth, solar-terrestrial physics and environmental geology.
