It was very exciting in those days. We were explorers. — Marie (image via The New York Times) She was a mapmaker. But she was also an artist. And even more importantly, she was a scientist. At Columbia University's Earth Institute, she began sketching the Atlantic Ocean — first, in pen and ink. Previous versions of these maps involved huge blank spaces, deemed "incomprehensible" by her male contemporaries. But Marie wanted to know more. She began examining earthquake patterns and tectonic plate movements — the first to ever note sea floor movement. She was the first to "discover" ocean-floor mountain ranges, memorialized in her minutely detailed cartography.
A Woman to Know: Marie Tharp
A Woman to Know: Marie Tharp
A Woman to Know: Marie Tharp
It was very exciting in those days. We were explorers. — Marie (image via The New York Times) She was a mapmaker. But she was also an artist. And even more importantly, she was a scientist. At Columbia University's Earth Institute, she began sketching the Atlantic Ocean — first, in pen and ink. Previous versions of these maps involved huge blank spaces, deemed "incomprehensible" by her male contemporaries. But Marie wanted to know more. She began examining earthquake patterns and tectonic plate movements — the first to ever note sea floor movement. She was the first to "discover" ocean-floor mountain ranges, memorialized in her minutely detailed cartography.