The Girl Talk Program

I am Valeria A. Perez Rivera, a senior Geology major at the University of Puerto Rico in Mayagüez. My fascination with Geology was sparked in the aftermath of Hurricane María when a nearby community of my faced significant erosion, resulting in the loss of homes and businesses. This experience ignited my desire to contribute to disaster relief efforts. By 10th grade, I realized that Geology was the field I wanted to pursue. During my sophomore year of undergrad, I became a science educator on social media, creating YouTube and TikTok videos, as well as Instagram content, focusing on science issues and geological facts. Now, with various opportunities in hand, my goal is to become a Geological Oceanographer, concentrating on studying coastlines and ocean dynamics to make a positive impact in these areas. My mission consists of helping people from natural disasters and doing the best for my country in any place.

Marie Tharp, she didn’t start making maps, she wanted to be a cartographer, because her dad created soil maps. In her bachelor's degree in Ohio, she couldn’t do a degree in Science, so she decided to study English, with a minor concentration in Arts. This situation motivated her even more to become a geologist, and she wanted to pursue it in another university, where people supported her. In 1968 she went on a boat for the first time as a geologist and oceanographer, to gather information about the ocean floor. 

The data she recollected in this boat helped her to craft a groundbreaking map of the Atlantic Ocean's floor in 1977. Her meticulous hand-drawn map, a true masterpiece of craft, earned her the prestigious Hubbard Medal as recognition for her unparalleled contributions to the exploration and discovery of new frontiers in Ocean Sciences. This extraordinary map, though created with pencil and paper, became an instrumental tool in substantiating the emerging theory of plate tectonics, a paradigm shift in geological understanding during that era.

Despite the significance of Tharp's work, some scientists initially dismissed her map, attributing it merely to artistic skill without acknowledging its research merit. Nevertheless, her map proved instrumental in providing valuable insights into the functioning of our planet. Over time, Marie Tharp's pioneering efforts have gained widespread acknowledgment, and she is now celebrated as a trailblazer in ocean mapping and the study of ocean floor topography.

Today, Tharp stands as one of the world's foremost cartographers, and her impact extends beyond cartography itself. Her revolutionary work has inspired a generation of women in oceanography, encouraging them to aspire to similar heights and make significant contributions to the field. Marie Tharp's legacy serves as a testament to the transformative power of perseverance, innovation, and the pursuit of knowledge in shaping the course of scientific history.

How one brilliant woman mapped the secrets of the ocean floor:

Marie Tharp; Pioneering Mapmaker:

Upon reviewing these two articles, you'll acquire knowledge about Marie Tharp, sparking a desire to delve deeper into her story. To assess your understanding, consider taking an interactive quiz, with the answers provided at the very end of the website.

Seventy percent of our planet is covered by water, with the vast majority, 97%, located in the ocean. However, only 23% of the ocean has been mapped, a challenging task due to the darkness of the ocean floor. Mapping the ocean floor is a crucial initial step in exploring the unknown, revealing essential information about the deepest parts of the ocean crust.

To comprehend the ocean floor, understanding terms like seafloor bathymetry and bathymetric maps is essential. Seafloor bathymetry refers to the land depths below sea level, and bathymetric maps depict the physical shape of the seafloor using varying depth values, connected by bathymetric lines. These maps serve as a foundational tool, revealing basic features necessary for various studies.

Data collection for these maps involves sonar technology, specifically active sonar systems emitting sound pulses into the water. The echoes from these pulses bouncing off the seafloor help calculate depth. Passive sonar systems, detecting environmental noise, are less effective due to the lack of precise object positioning. Active sonar emerges as an efficient method for underwater object location. Multibeam sonar, a contemporary tool, stands out for its ability to produce high-resolution data with numerous points per area, enabling detailed seafloor observation. Unfortunately, its high cost limits widespread use, leading to less than 23% of the seafloor being mapped in high resolution as of 2022.

Despite the importance of ocean mapping, many scientists and funding sources prioritize space exploration over understanding Earth's oceans. Redirecting support towards ocean research, especially for multibeam sonar, could expedite mapping efforts. While costly, the collective support of industries, government agencies, and other entities is crucial for advancing ocean research, which ultimately benefits everyone.

To read more about this information, you can go through this link:

Mapping the seafloor holds significant importance as the gathered data proves invaluable across various scientific disciplines. This comprehensive mapping not only enhances our comprehension of ocean ecosystems but also delves into the realms of geomorphology, geology, and vital resources like petroleum. Geomorphology, in particular, stands out due to its practical applications, guiding decisions on optimal placement for phone service cables, identifying potential petroleum reserves, and devising mechanisms for harnessing hydraulic energy.

Geological formations in ocean floor: volcanoes, trench, canyons, slop, plate tectonics, volcanoes, and so much more.

Ocean mapping had provided data of the deepest zones in the planet. The Mariana Trench is in the Pacific Ocean and is the deepest zone in the Planet.

• To view the entire Earth surface for the first time in history
• Having a data layer that will improve global prediction models related to weather, climate, tsunami impact zones, and sea-level rise.
• A lot of countries will be able to prioritize conservation efforts to improve fish families and coral reefs.
• And more underwater discoveries will be made.

The most exciting thing about bathymetry data is that it could be transformed into maps through cartography. This involves taking the raw bathymetric data, typically collected by sonar systems, multibeam, and converting it into a 3D visual representation. The steps include data cleaning, contouring to represent depth variations, and assigning colors to different depth ranges. Also, I love that we can assign the colors our own, but the preference is to put red in maximum points of any sea mountain, and lighter colors in the bottom. The most interesting thing is that with this kind of data we can incorporate information like coastline features, landmarks, but this data is more accessible to obtain than the ocean floor data. The additional data that it can overlay with bathymetry is the geospatial data such as satellite imagery, oceanographic data, sediment distribution maps, or geological information. All of them can provide an understanding of underwater morphology, sediment, ecosystems, and geological features.

1. Sonar: a tool that uses sound waves to explore the ocean.
2. Active sonar: emit a pulse of sound into the water, bounces in an object (formation) on the seafloor, creating an “echo.”
3. Passive sonar: systems are quiet are less effective due to the lack of precise object positioning.
4. Multibeam sonar: a contemporary tool, stands out for its ability to produce high-resolution data with numerous points per area, enabling detailed seafloor observation.
5. GIS: computer-based framework used for organizing and analyzing data related to positions on Earth’s surface. The maps in your phone are made thanks to this framework.

I mentioned earlier that I am from Puerto Rico. This is the reason as to why the places I want to study in the future are near my island.

1. Puerto Rico Trench
2. Puerto Rican Landslide in the Continental Shelf
3. Mid Ocean Ridge
4. Continental Shelf joining the Caribbean Islands: La Española, Puerto Rico, British Virgin Isles, Mona, Monito
5. Shallow Marine Waters of the Bahamas

Having opportunities since a young career experience