Who is Marie Tharp, The American Geologist Whom Today’s Google Doodle Honors?: Google today celebrating was a geologist and oceanographic cartographer from the United States who, along with Bruce Heezen, produced the first accurate map of the ocean floor in the Atlantic.
Through his research, Tharp was able to reveal the intricate topography and three-dimensional geographic landscape of the ocean floor.Her research resulted in a paradigm shift in earth science that allowed the theories of plate tectonics and continental drift to be accepted.
It also improved the cartographic representation of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and led to the discovery of the rift valley that runs along its axis.
Who was Marie Tharp?
Marie Tharp was born on July 30, 1920, in Ypsilanti, Michigan, as the lone child of Bertha Louise Tharp and William Edgar Tharp, who worked as soil surveyors for the US Department of Agriculture. Bertha Louise Tharp was a German and Latin teacher. She frequently accompanied her father while he conducted field research, which exposed her to mapping at a young age. Despite this, she had no desire to pursue a career in the sector because at the time, it was thought that this was a task best left to males.
Until William Tharp retired in 1931, the family was continually on the road as a result of his line of work. At that time, Marie had been to more than a dozen public schools in Alabama, Iowa, Michigan, and Indiana, making it challenging for her to make friends. Marie’s mother, who passed away when she was 15 years old, was her closest female friend. She really benefited from spending a full academic year at Florence, Alabama. She took a class there called Current Science where she learned about modern scientists and the research endeavors they were engaged in. She also had the opportunity to go on weekend field trips with her class to examine trees and rocks.
Marie Tharp Education
Following his retirement, William Tharp and the rest of the family relocated to a farm in Bellefontaine, Ohio, where Marie soon obtained her high school diploma. She took a year off before attending college because her mother was a teacher, and after graduating she too had plans to become a teacher. After her mother passed away in 1936, Marie remained on the farm to help, and she subsequently enrolled in college.
Marie Tharp Career
After four years in Tulsa, Tharp was looking for her next professional step in 1948. When she first arrived in New York City, she initially applied for jobs at the American Museum of Natural History, but after realizing how time-consuming paleontological research was, she switched to Columbia University.
Maurice Ewing, the creator of the Lamont Geological Observatory, eventually hired her for drafting work. Strangely, Tharp failed to mention her master’s in geology when she was being interviewed for the position. At the Lamont Geological Observatory, Tharp was one of the first women to work there.
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