Soundings: The Story of the Remarkable Woman Who Mapped the Ocean Floor by Hali Felt

From Library Journal: "After reading an obituary of cartographer Marie Tharp, Felt became intrigued by this "forgotten" woman of the 20th century. In an era when women were relegated to being secretaries, Tharp, who earned a master's degree in geology, was hired as a research assistant in 1948 at Columbia University's Lamont Geological Observatory to assist mainly male graduate students with their research. She began working with Bruce Heezen, a graduate student and later Tharp's partner, interpreting soundings data (records of sonar pings measuring the ocean's depth) compiled from his ocean expeditions. Using Heezen's data, Tharp plotted and created the first maps of the ocean floor, which laid the groundwork for proving the then controversial theory of continental drift. Some consider her maps one of the most remarkable achievements in modern cartography, and Felt's biography brings her contributions to life."