SEDI is an international scientific organization dedicated to the Study of the Earth's Deep Interior. The ultimate goal of SEDI is an enhanced understanding of the past evolution and current thermal, dynamical and chemical state of the Earth's deep interior and of the effect that the interior has on the structures and processes observed at the surface of the Earth. The 'deep interior' is generally considered to be the core and lower mantle, but interest may extend to the surface, for example, in the study of mantle plumes or dynamics of descending lithospheric slabs.
The scientific questions and problems of interest to SEDI include the evolution of the Earth's deep interior, composition, structure and dynamics. Topics include the Earth's mantle, its structure and evolution as well as mineralogy and deep reservoirs, core-mantle boundary region and coupling between core and mantle, the Earth outer core with geomagnetic dynamo, secular variation, paleomagnetism, as well as structure, mineralogy and evolution of the inner core.
SEDI serves the interests of science in three ways:
- by serving as an information conduit for scientific activity related to the deep interior of the Earth,
- by organizing of scientific symposia and sessions and
- by providing an organizational framework for scientific projects.