The Woman Who Mapped The Ocean Floor

08 28 2012 02 10 pm et updated oct 28 2012 on february 2 2009 thanks to google ocean the ocean floor s topography was revealed for millions of people to see.

The woman who mapped the ocean floor.

Before that day the 70 percent of the earth s. The ocean floor maps and their iconic mid ocean rift valley provided the visual spark essential for understanding the parallel denouement of seismic and magnetic signals. Marie tharp july 30 1920 august 23 2006 was an american geologist and oceanographic cartographer who in partnership with bruce heezen created the first scientific map of the atlantic ocean floor tharp s work revealed the detailed topography and multi dimensional geographical landscape of the ocean bottom. Having a master s degree in geology was rare for a woman in the 1950s but that didn t stop marie tharp from changing the field forever.

Women in tectonics and structural geology by lucia perez diaz marie tharp july 30 1920 august 23 2006 would have turned 100 on this very day and she continues to live through her legacy of having mapped the world s oceans. Her work also revealed the presence of a continuous rift valley along the axis. Nor did scientists have ways to map the ocean floor which they assumed was drab and flat. The story of the remarkable woman who mapped the ocean floor.

The bruce heezen marie tharp world ocean floor map painted by heinrich berann. Her maps of the ocean floor have been called one of the most remarkable achievements in modern cartography yet no one knows her name. The story of the remarkable woman who mapped the ocean floor documents tharp s thwarted dreams and. Similar to famous painters some of whom only gain appreciation after their death marie tharp is one of the most underappreciated scientists in the history of the.

How one brilliant woman mapped the secrets of the ocean floor this animation by rosanna wan for the royal institution tells the fascinating story of marie tharp s groundbreaking work to help. Before marie tharp geologist and gifted draftsperson the whole world including most of the scientific community thought the ocean floor was. Library of congress l ast tuesday was international women s day a time to remember and celebrate.