(Commonwealth Union)_It would amaze us, if we ventured into the depths of the stories of women who have achieved significant things, and contributed greatly towards change in the world, yet remain unheard of. These unsung heroes are barely acknowledged, let alone celebrated and their accolades are often unnoticed. One such name is Marie Tharp – a Geologist from the United States whose story was brought into the limelight by Google Doodle who uncovered the journey of the Geologist who was named one of the greatest cartographers of the 20th century by the Library of Congress.
Marie Tharp was born in 1920 in Michigan. Her father worked in the US Department of Agriculture, thus providing her with early knowledge on map making. Tharp attended the University of Michigan to complete her Master’s program in petroleum geology. In 1948, she moved to New York City and became the first woman to work at the Lamont Geological Observatory where she met geologist Bruce Heezen.
Tharp utilized data collected by Heezen to construct an “ocean floor” which depicted her theory of infrastructure under water. She discovered the mid-Atlantic ridge which enabled her to prove the theory of continental drift. Initially, according to Google, Heezen dismissed Tharp’s findings, until the theory became glaringly obvious due to the similarities between the rifts and the earthquake epicenter maps.
In 1957, Heezen and Tharp collectively published the very first Ocean Floor Map in the North Atlantic. Nearly two decades later, a full world map of the ocean infrastructure was published by National Geographic under the name of the two scientists.
Tharp was undoubtedly an asset to the science world. Her research and theories introduced a new line of research to modern day scientists and incited intrigue on oceanography. In 2001, the Lamont Geological Observatory, where Tharp had started her career, awarded her with its first annual Lamont-Doherty Heritage Award. Her story was celebrated decades later by Google Doodle making it an inspirational notion for many females and males alike who wish to use their knowledge to transform ideologies.
