Belousov, Vladimir Vladimirovich

Vladimir Vladimirovich Belousov, (born Oct. 17 [Oct. 30, New Style], 1907, Moscow, Russia—died Dec. 25, 1990), Soviet geologist and geophysicist who in 1942 advanced the theory that the Earth’s material has gradually differentiated according to its density to produce the present internal structure of the Earth and that this gradual movement is the basic cause of movements of the Earth’s crust.

Belousov assumed direction of the department of geodynamics at the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R., Moscow, in 1942 and served as chairman of the Soviet Joint Geophysical Committee from 1961. He was also vice chairman of the International Geophysics Committee (1960–64) and president of the International Committee for Upper Mantle of the Earth Projects (1964–70).