Bullard, Sir Edward

Sir Edward Bullard, in full Sir Edward Crisp Bullard, (born September 21, 1907, Norwich, Norfolk, England—died April 3, 1980, La Jolla, California, U.S.), British geophysicist noted for his work in geomagnetism.

He became professor of geophysics and director of the department of geodesy and geophysics at the University of Cambridge in 1964. In his research on the structure of Earth’s crust and Earth’s internal constitution, he made valuable studies of radioactive heat generation within Earth and of Earth’s thermal history. One of his most important contributions to the study of geomagnetism is his theory of the geomagnetic dynamo, based on convective motion within Earth’s core. Bullard was knighted in 1953.