William Maurice "Doc" Ewing (May 12, 1906 – May 4, 1974) was an American geophysicist and oceanographer. Ewing has been described as a pioneering geophysicist who worked on the research of seismic reflection and

refraction In physics, refraction is the redirection of a wave as it passes from one transmission medium, medium to another. The redirection can be caused by the wave's change in speed or by a change in the medium. Refraction of light is the most commo ...

in ocean basins, ocean bottom photography, submarine sound transmission (including the SOFAR channel), deep sea core samples of the ocean bottom, theory and observation of earthquake surface waves, fluidity of the Earth's core, generation and propagation of microseisms, submarine explosion seismology, marine gravity surveys, bathymetry and

sedimentation Sedimentation is the deposition of sediments. It takes place when particles in suspension settle out of the fluid in which they are entrained and come to rest against a barrier. This is due to their motion through the fluid in response to th ...

, natural

radioactivity Radioactive decay (also known as nuclear decay, radioactivity, radioactive disintegration, or nuclear disintegration) is the process by which an unstable atomic nucleus loses energy by radiation. A material containing unstable nuclei is conside ...

of ocean waters and sediments, study of

abyssal plain An abyssal plain is an underwater plain on the deep ocean floor, usually found at depths between . Lying generally between the foot of a continental rise and a mid-ocean ridge, abyssal plains cover more than 50% of the Earth's surface. They ...

s and submarine canyons.

Biography

He was born in

Lockney, Texas Lockney is a town in Floyd County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,498 at the 2020 census, down from 1,842 at the 2010 census. Geography Lockney is located in northwestern Floyd County at (34.122961, –101.443414). U.S. Route 7 ...

, where he was the eldest surviving child of a large farm family. He won a scholarship to attend

Rice University William Marsh Rice University, commonly referred to as Rice University, is a Private university, private research university in Houston, Houston, Texas, United States. Established in 1912, the university spans 300 acres. Rice University comp ...

, earning a BA with honors in 1926. He completed his graduate studies at the same institution, earning an MA in 1927 and being awarded his PhD in 1931. In 1928 he was married to Avarilla Hildenbrand, and the couple had a son. The couple divorced in 1941. Ewing worked as an instructor at the Rice Institute while pursuing his PhD before joining the faculty at

Lehigh University Lehigh University (LU), in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, United States, is a private university, private research university. The university was established in 1865 by businessman Asa Packer. Lehigh University's undergraduate programs have been mixed ...

in 1930, where he served until 1944. While at Lehigh, he was instrumental in initiating a program in geophysics. In 1944 he married Margaret Sloan Kidder, with whom he had four children. He moved to

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, becoming a professor of geology in 1947. In 1959 he was named the Higgins Professor of Geology at Columbia. Dr. Ewing (often simply called 'Doc' by those who worked with him) was the founder (established in 1949) and first director of Lamont Geological Observatory (now known as Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) in Palisades, New York) where he worked with J. Lamar Worzel (gravity specialist), Dr. Frank Press (seismologist), Jack Nafe, Jack Oliver, and geologists and oceanographic cartographers Dr. Bruce Heezen and

Marie Tharp Marie Tharp (July 30, 1920 – August 23, 2006) was an American geologist and oceanographic cartographer. In the 1950s, she collaborated with geologist Bruce Heezen to produce the first scientific map of the Atlantic Ocean floor. Her cartogr ...

. The former LDEO research vessel '' R/V Maurice Ewing'' was named in his honor. He divorced a second time, and married his third wife Harriet Greene Bassett in 1965. In 1972 he joined the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, and was named the head of the Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences of the Marine Biomedical Institute. During his career he published over 340 scientific papers. He served as president of the

American Geophysical Union The American Geophysical Union (AGU) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of Earth, Atmospheric science, atmospheric, Oceanography, ocean, Hydrology, hydrologic, Astronomy, space, and Planetary science, planetary scientists and enthusiasts that ...

and the Seismological Society of America. He led over 50 oceanic expeditions. He made many contributions to

oceanography Oceanography (), also known as oceanology, sea science, ocean science, and marine science, is the scientific study of the ocean, including its physics, chemistry, biology, and geology. It is an Earth science, which covers a wide range of to ...

, including the discovery of the SOFAR Channel, the invention of the sofar bomb, and did much fundamental work on

plate tectonics Plate tectonics (, ) is the scientific theory that the Earth's lithosphere comprises a number of large tectonic plates, which have been slowly moving since 3–4 billion years ago. The model builds on the concept of , an idea developed durin ...

. While he was working on SOFAR, Ewing engaged in deep water photography, partly as a hobby and partly to help the government identify lost ships destroyed by U-boats. He was the chief scientist on board the Glomar Challenger. He originated Project Mogul, an early program to detect Soviet nuclear weapons tests. Ewing suffered a fatal stroke in 1974 in

Galveston, Texas Galveston ( ) is a Gulf Coast of the United States, coastal resort town, resort city and port off the Southeast Texas coast on Galveston Island and Pelican Island (Texas), Pelican Island in the U.S. state of Texas. The community of , with a pop ...

Awards and honors

* Penrose Medal, 1974 (posthumously) * Walter H. Bucher Medal, 1974 * William Bowie Medal, 1957 * Arthur L. Day Medal, 1949 * John J. Carty Award of the

National Academy of Sciences The National Academy of Sciences (NAS) is a United States nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. NAS is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, along with the National Academy of Engineering (NAE) and the ...

, 1963 * Navy Distinguished Public Service Award, 1955 * Sidney Powers Memorial Medal, 1968 * Robert Earl McConnell Award, 1973 *

National Medal of Science The National Medal of Science is an honor bestowed by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the fields of behavioral science, behavior ...

, 1973 * Vega Medal of the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography, 1965 *

Cullum Geographical Medal The Cullum Geographical Medal is one of the oldest awards of the American Geographical Society. It was established in the will of George Washington Cullum, the vice president of the Society, and is awarded "to those who distinguish themselves by ...

of the

American Geographical Society The American Geographical Society (AGS) is an organization of professional geographers, founded in 1851 in New York City. Most fellows of the society are United States, Americans, but among them have always been a significant number of fellows f ...

, 1961 *

Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society The Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society is the highest award given by the Royal Astronomical Society (RAS). The RAS Council have "complete freedom as to the grounds on which it is awarded" and it can be awarded for any reason. Past awar ...

, 1964 * Elected to the National Academy of Sciences, 1948 * Elected a Foreign Member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences, 1956 * Elected a Foreign Member of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

(1972) * Elected a Fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

, 1938 * Elected a Fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of ...

, 1938 * Elected to the

American Academy of Arts and Sciences The American Academy of Arts and Sciences (The Academy) is one of the oldest learned societies in the United States. It was founded in 1780 during the American Revolution by John Adams, John Hancock, James Bowdoin, Andrew Oliver, and other ...

, 1951 * Elected to the

American Philosophical Society The American Philosophical Society (APS) is an American scholarly organization and learned society founded in 1743 in Philadelphia that promotes knowledge in the humanities and natural sciences through research, professional meetings, publicat ...

, 1959 * Foreign Member of the

Geological Society of London The Geological Society of London, known commonly as the Geological Society, is a learned society based in the United Kingdom. It is the oldest national geological society in the world and the largest in Europe, with more than 12,000 Fellows. Fe ...

, 1964 * Guggenheim Fellow, 1938, 1953, 1955 * Vetlesen Prize, 1960The Vetlesen Prize
* Eleven honorary degrees * Geophysics Laboratory at the University of Texas Medical Branch Marine Science Institute was renamed Maurice Ewing Hall. * The Maurice Ewing Medals of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists and

were named after him. * The lunar wrinkle ridge '' Dorsa Ewing'' was named after him.

References

External links

PhotoVideo Lecture Explaining SOFAR SpheresNational Academy of Sciences Biographical MemoirArticle regarding Ewing's work with William Donn on Ice AgesA Theory of Ice Ages, Maurice Ewing and William L. DonnSOSUS system monitorowania i kontroli dźwięku pod wodą w czasie Zimnej Wojny. cz. 1
www.okretypodwodne.edu.pl (pl)
SOSUS system monitorowania i kontroli dźwięku pod wodą w czasie Zimnej Wojny. cz. 2
www.okretypodwodne.edu.pl (pl)
SOSUS system monitorowania i kontroli dźwięku pod wodą w czasie Zimnej Wojny. cz. 3
www.okretypodwodne.edu.pl (pl) {{DEFAULTSORT:Ewing, William Maurice 1906 births 1974 deaths People from Lockney, Texas American geophysicists American seismologists Penrose Medal winners National Medal of Science laureates Columbia University faculty Lehigh University faculty Lamont–Doherty Earth Observatory people Foreign members of the Royal Society Rice University alumni People from Galveston, Texas Wollaston Medal winners Members of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences Members of the United States National Academy of Sciences Fellows of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences Recipients of the Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society Recipients of the Cullum Geographical Medal Fellows of the American Physical Society Marine geophysicists Vetlesen Prize winners Members of the American Philosophical Society

Biography

Awards and honors

See also

References

External links