Mohoroviikúlan

The Mohorovičić discontinuity, often shortened to the Moho, is the boundary separating the Earth's crust from the upper mantle. It is defined by a sudden increase in the velocity of seismic waves as they pass through this transition zone. Discovered by Croatian seismologist Andrija Mohorovičić in 1909, the Moho is a fundamental feature of Earth's structure.

The depth of the Mohorovičić discontinuity varies significantly across the Earth's surface. Beneath the continents, it typically lies at depths of 25 to 70 kilometers, while under the oceans, it is found at shallower depths, usually between 5 and 15 kilometers. This variation is largely due to the differing densities and thicknesses of continental and oceanic crust.

Studying the Moho provides crucial insights into plate tectonics, the composition of the Earth's interior, and the processes that shape our planet. The existence and properties of the Moho are primarily understood through the analysis of seismological data collected from earthquakes. Attempts to drill through the Moho, such as the Soviet deep drilling project, have been undertaken to directly sample the materials on either side of this boundary, though reaching it has proven technologically challenging.