Whose studies explained why earthquake belts trace plate boundaries?
Quick Answer
Marie Tharp's seafloor mapping helped reveal the mid-ocean ridge system in the 1950s and 1960s. That mapping supported the idea that earthquakes cluster along plate boundaries.
The Full Story
American geologist and mapmaker Marie Tharp transformed oceanography by mapping the seafloor in detail. Working with Bruce Heezen, she revealed the global pattern of mid-ocean ridges, rift valleys, and trenches. Her maps showed a dynamic ocean floor, which supported the emerging theory of plate tectonics. Since earthquakes and volcanoes are concentrated where plates interact, her work helped explain their global distribution. Tharp's contributions are now recognized as central to modern Earth science.
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"The woman who mapped the hidden Earth beneath the ocean."