How This Woman Charted the Mysteries of the Ocean Floor in a Man's World

and changed our understanding of the Earth's geography forever

An early medieval map of the world.

Today we step into a world where the depths of the ocean were shrouded in mystery, where sea monsters lurked within dark uncharted waters, and world maps attempted to capture the sea’s vastness.

But amidst the prevailing mysteries of the ocean, one woman would embark on a groundbreaking mission that would forever change our perception of the planet we call home.

Marie Tharp, a geologist and cartographer whose unwavering determination led her to create the very first map of the ocean floor—a discovery that would rewrite the books of science and challenge the established theories of her time.

Marie Tharp with her hand drawn map of the ocean floor.

But why did it take until the 1950s to map the ocean floor. The answer lies in the evolution of cartography and — the Titanic.

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