Bruce C. Heezen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bruce Charles Heezen
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Marie Tharp and Bruce Heezen
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| Born | April 11, 1924 |
| Died | June 21, 1977 (aged 53) |
| Nationality | United States |
| Citizenship | United States |
| Alma mater | University of Iowa Columbia University |
| Known for | Seafloor topography |
| Awards | Cullum Geographical Medal (1973) |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Geology, Oceanography |
| Institutions | Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory |
Bruce Charles Heezen (born April 11, 1924 – died June 21, 1977) was an American geologist. He was a key scientist who helped us understand the ocean floor. He worked with a cartographer named Marie Tharp at Columbia University. Together, they mapped the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the 1950s. This work changed how we see Earth's geology.
About Bruce Heezen
Bruce Heezen was born in Vinton, Iowa. He was an only child. When he was six, his family moved to Muscatine, Iowa. He finished high school there in 1942.
He went to the University of Iowa and earned his first degree in 1947. Later, he studied at Columbia University. He received his master's degree in 1952. He then earned his Ph.D. in 1957.
Mapping the Ocean Floor
Bruce Heezen worked closely with Marie Tharp. She was a cartographer, meaning she made maps. They studied the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. This is a huge underwater mountain range. It runs down the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.
At first, Heezen thought their findings supported the "Expanding Earth Theory." This idea suggested that Earth was slowly growing bigger. But Marie Tharp helped him change his mind. By the mid-1960s, he believed in continental drift. This theory says that Earth's continents move over time.
Marie Tharp was Heezen's assistant when he was a student. He asked her to draw maps of the seafloor. When she showed him a deep valley in the North Atlantic, he didn't believe her. He called it "girl talk."
But Marie Tharp kept working on it. They soon found that the valley was real. It was part of a huge mountain range. This range had a central valley and stretched all around the Earth. They also noticed something important. Earthquakes in the ocean happened right along this rift. This was a very new idea at the time.
Heezen shared this discovery in 1957. He presented his ideas about the mid-ocean rift and earthquakes. A famous geologist, Harry Hess, was there. He told Heezen, "Young man, you have shaken the foundations of geology!" This meant Heezen's work was very important. It changed how scientists thought about our planet.
Bruce Heezen died in 1977. He had a heart attack while on a research trip. He was studying the Mid-Atlantic Ridge near Iceland. He was aboard a special submarine called the NR-1.
Awards and Recognition
Bruce Heezen received several honors for his work.
- 1964: He was given the Henry Bryant Bigelow Medal in Oceanography. This award came from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
- 1973: He received the Cullum Geographical Medal. This was from the American Geographical Society.
His contributions to science are remembered in other ways too.
- The Oceanographic Survey Ship USNS Bruce C. Heezen was named after him. It was launched in 1999.
- A glacier in Antarctica was also named in his honor. It is called Heezen Glacier. This happened in 1977.
