Wegener and Tharp's Ocean Discoveries

The video discusses Alfred Wegener's theory of continental drift, initially unpopular among his peers. Mary Tharp's work at Columbia University, despite being barred from expeditions, provided crucial evidence for the theory through her ocean floor profiles. Her findings, supported by earthquake data, eventually led to the acceptance of continental drift and the development of plate tectonics, marking a significant paradigm shift in earth sciences.

What was the name of the supercontinent proposed by Alfred Wegener?

• Laurasia

• Gondwana

• Pangaea

• Atlantis

Who was the young cartographer that helped support Wegener's theory?

• Marie Tharp

• Bruce Heezen

• Howard Foster

• Jacques Cousteau

What was the main reason Marie Tharp could not join early ocean expeditions?

• Health issues

• Insufficient training

• Lack of funding

• Prohibition of women on ships

What technology did Bruce Heezen's team use to collect ocean depth data?

• Satellite imaging

• Underwater cameras

• Echo soundings

• Sonar mapping

What did Marie Tharp's ocean floor profiles reveal?

• A network of underwater rivers

• A series of underwater mountains

• A complex geography with a V-shaped cleft

• A flat, featureless plain

What was the initial reaction of the scientific community to Tharp's findings?

• Immediate acceptance

• Enthusiastic support

• Indifference

• Skepticism and dismissal

What did Howard Foster's earthquake data suggest about mid-ocean ridges?

• They were the result of meteor impacts

• They were the cause of volcanic eruptions

• They were unrelated to earthquakes

• They were associated with earthquake activity

What did the alignment of earthquake data with Tharp's findings indicate?

• A need for more data

• An error in Tharp's maps

• A connection between earthquakes and mid-ocean ridges

• A new theory of ocean currents

What was the outcome of Jacques Cousteau's expedition?

• It disproved Tharp's maps

• It confirmed Tharp's maps

• It found new underwater species

• It discovered a new ocean trench

What major scientific theory emerged from the acceptance of Wegener's and Tharp's work?

• Quantum Mechanics

• Theory of Evolution

• Theory of Relativity

• Plate Tectonics