Beno Gutenberg (/ˈɡuːtənbɜːrɡ/; June 4, 1889 – January 25, 1960) was a German-American seismologist who made several important contributions to the science. He was a colleague and mentor of Charles Francis Richter at the California Institute of Technology and Richter's collaborator in developing the Richter magnitude scale for measuring an earthquake's magnitude.

Gutenberg was born in Darmstadt, Germany. His father owned a factory.

He obtained his doctorate in physics from the University of Göttingen in 1911. His advisor was Emil Wiechert.

During World War I, Gutenberg served in the German Army as a meteorologist in support of gas warfare operations.^[1]

Gutenberg held positions at the University of Strasbourg, which he lost when Strasbourg became French in 1918. After some years during which he had to sustain himself with managing his father's soap factory, he obtained in 1926 a junior professorship at University of Frankfurt-am-Main, which was poorly paid.

Although he was already, in the 1920s, one of the leading seismologists worldwide and definitely the leading seismologist in Germany, he was still dependent on the position in his father's factory; however, he continued his research in his spare time.

In 1928, the attempt to become the successor of his academic teacher, Emil Wiechert, in Göttingen, failed. There are hints that Gutenberg's Jewish^[2] background might have played a role because, already in the 1920s, there were strong antisemitic tendencies in German universities. For similar reasons, he was also not accepted for a professorship in Potsdam to become the successor of Gustav Angenheister.

Beno Gutenberg's personal life was marked by the challenges of immigration amidst political turmoil in Germany during the rise of the Nazi regime. Gutenberg faced challenges obtaining visas due to growing Nazi influence in the 1930s.^[2][5]

After leaving Germany to the United States, Beno Gutenberg and his wife, Hertha, were instrumental in aiding individuals seeking refuge from Nazi persecution during the 1930s. Among those they sponsored were former colleagues, students, and friends, including Professor Helmut Landsberg and Professor Victor Conrad.^[6] These individuals received support for their education and basic needs, ensuring they were not reliant on welfare or student loans.^[5]

Hertha Gutenberg's involvement extended beyond financial support; she played a crucial role in facilitating connections and assistance through organizations like the Catholic group in New York, which helped Professor Victor Conrad secure his relocation to the United States.^[5]

• Gutenberg, B (1960), "Low-Velocity Layers in the Earth, Ocean, and Atmosphere.", Science, vol. 131, no. 3405 (published Apr 1, 1960), pp. 959–965, Bibcode:1960Sci...131..959G, doi:10.1126/science.131.3405.959, PMID 17756389
• Buwalda, JP; Gutenberg, B (1935), "Investigation of overthrust faults by seismic methods", Science, vol. 81, no. 2103 (published Apr 19, 1935), pp. 384–386, Bibcode:1935Sci....81..384B, doi:10.1126/science.81.2103.384, PMID 17769434

• Seismicity
• Core–mantle boundary
• Lithosphere–asthenosphere boundary
• Macroseismic magnitude
• List of geophysicists