Understanding the Ocean Floor and Marie Tharp's Contributions

The video explores the history of ocean floor mapping, highlighting Marie Tharp's pivotal role in transforming our understanding of the seafloor. Despite initial skepticism, Tharp's work with sonar data led to the discovery of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, providing evidence for continental drift and challenging the expanding Earth theory. Her maps revealed the dynamic nature of tectonic plates, reshaping geological science. The video concludes by acknowledging Tharp's lasting impact and encourages further exploration of Earth's structure.

What percentage of the ocean floor had been mapped in detail by 2017?

• 36%

• 6%

• 16%

• 26%

What was Marie Tharp's initial role at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory?

• Teaching geology

• Leading ocean expeditions

• Drafting and computing for graduate students

• Developing sonar technology

What technology did Tharp and Heezen use to map the ocean floor?

• LIDAR

• Satellite imaging

• Radar

• Sonar

What did Tharp discover in the North Atlantic Ocean?

• A sunken city

• A rift valley

• A new species of fish

• An underwater volcano

What theory did Tharp's discovery of the rift valley support?

• Continental drift

• Static continents

• Expanding Earth

• Earth shrinking

What was the initial reaction of Heezen to Tharp's rift valley discovery?

• He immediately supported it

• He called it 'girl talk'

• He published it without hesitation

• He ignored it completely

What additional evidence supported Tharp's rift valley theory?

• Volcanic eruptions

• Earthquake epicenters

• Ocean currents

• Tsunami patterns

What is the Mid-Atlantic Ridge?

• A deep-sea trench

• A rift valley in the ocean

• A coral reef

• A mountain range on land

What did Tharp's work help to explain about the continents?

• Why they are expanding

• Why they are shrinking

• Why they look like they were once connected

• Why they are static

What was one of Tharp's major contributions to science?

• Inventing the submarine

• Discovering a new ocean

• Proving the theory of continental drift

• Developing new sonar technology