ri-science:In 1912 AlfredWegener proposed a controversial theory about how the Earth’s land massesfo
ri-science:In 1912 AlfredWegener proposed a controversial theory about how the Earth’s land massesformed. He said the great continents had once formed a single landmass, whichhad broken up over time. The idea went against all conventional ideas, and wasroundly dismissed.It took thework of young cartographer Marie Tharp to prove him right.In 1947, sheworked on a team that were running expeditions around the world, mapping theocean floors with echolocation. However, Marie wasn’t allowed on the missions becausewomen were seen as ‘bad luck’…But the workshe did back at the university was invaluable. Converting endless data intodetailed profiles, she realised that the ocean floor isn’t a flat, featurelessplane, but a complex, varied landscape.Mostimportantly, she spotted a long, V-shaped valley in each of her profiles: arift valley that supported Wegener’s theory, formed by two land masses movingapart, splitting the ocean floor in two.But even withthis evidence, Tharp’s ideas were dismissed as ‘girl talk’.She thenrealised that her profiles tied in with worldwide earthquake maps beingdeveloped by a colleague.The mountingevidence started to convince some sceptics, but not all. Renowned explorerJacques Cousteau was so unconvinced that he sent an expedition to film theocean floor and clear things up once and for all. What did his footage show?Exactly what Tharp had predicted.Tharp’ssteadfast determination had paved the way for Wegener’s continental drifttheory to gain traction. As the tide of opposition waned, it gave birthto our modern understanding of plate tectonics and secured Tharp’sposition as one of the most outstanding cartographers of the 20th century.Watch the full story on our YouTube channel. -- source link
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