On December 4th each year geologists come together to raise a glass (or ten) to St Barbara. Upon confessing to her pagan father that she had converted to Christianity, she was imprisoned and tortured, but each morning her wounds were healed, and torches that were to be used to burn her went out as soon as they came near her. Finally, her father beheaded her by his own sword. He was immediately struck by lightning and consumed by flames. Because of this legacy associated with fire and lightning, St Barbara became the patron Saint of those who worked in dangerous jobs using explosives: artillery men, engineers and miners. Today in all geologists can pray to her to avoid the danger of sudden and violent death at work, for example while out in the field, or in the lab!
To celebrate the Patron Saint of Geology, this month we will look back at 3 brilliant women who have made a real difference to the study of Earth Sciences.
Mary Anning
Despite being one of the earliest paleontologist, and making a number of discoveries of great scientific importance, Mary Anning was rather outcast from the scientific community due to her sex. Born in 1799, the Geological Society of London was still exclusively a ‘gentleman’s club’ and as a result she struggled to gain scientific support or merit. This is despite her meticulous work scouring the south coast of England for fossils and the discovery of the first Ichthyosaur skeleton to be identified, and important Plesiosaur and Pterosaur finds as well as important advancing understanding of belemnites and coprolites.
She worked along the Blue Lias Cliffs of the south of England, famous for their Jurassic fossils. This was dangerous work, as landslides are common along this coast. Fossils were sold to collectors, and now many of the most significant finds are housed in Museums around Southern England. The fossils displayed raised important questions on the history of the Earth, with much confusion as to how such animals had not been mentioned in biblical works!
Her customers included the infamous Sir Charles Lyell and Adam Sedgwick, and despite the Geological Society not admitting female fellows for some 58 years after her death, she was given an eulogy in their journal, the first given to a women, due to her ‘significant contributions to the science of geology’. Today, a portrait of Mary hangs in the entrance way to the Geological Society, painted with her dog that she lost to a landslide on a particularly dangerous day in the field!
May Ogilvie Gordon
Born in Aberdeenshire in 1864, 17 years after Mary Anning’s Death, May Ogilvie Gordon carved out her career in Geology in a world that was wakening up to women in science. She studied a Bachelor of Science degree at Heriot Watt University and University College of London, specializing in Geology, Botany and Zoology. Hoping to pursue a Phd in Geology, she applied to study in Berlin University 1891. However, Germany at the time did not admit Women to such positions, and so she returned to University College of London becoming the Doctor of Science in Geology in 1893, followed by the first female PhD of Munich University in 1900.
May Ogilvie Gordon was really one of the first truly accepted and academically productive female geologists. Over her career she published over 30 papers on her research on the Italian Dolomites, and through additional political positions, she played a role in helping women’s rights in the UK. To commemorate her achievements, Heriot Watt University recently named their 3D seismic visualization centre in her honour (see the picture of me showcasing my work in the centre!)
Marie Tharp
May Ogilvie Gordon may have paved the way for women’s rights and their acceptance in to science of geology, but even in the 1950s and 60s, women were fighting to be heard and recognized for their work. It seems right that in the year that marks 50 years since the acceptance of the theory of plate tectonics that Marie Tharp is properly recognized for the role she played.
At the time she was employed at the Lamont Geological Laboratory in the USA, working as a map drafter. Together with Bruce Heezen, she produced the first map of the Atlantic Ocean floor, and identified the Mid Ocean Ridge there. At the time, it was not understood how topographic features formed, and why South America and Africa appeared as they should fit together as pieces of a jigsaw. There was a theory of an expanding and contracting Earth, which Bruce Heezen initially favored. However, Marie used the evidence form the map to persuade him that a continental drift model was most likely. He initially rejected these ides as ‘girl talk’ but later, when he supported the idea, Marie did not feature as an author on any of the published papers. Their work went onto to aid the development of the modern understanding of Plate Tectonics in 1967 by McKenzie and others.
All three of these women fought for their acceptance into the world of geoscience. And I am very thankful they did. Today, there is a movement towards diversity in the workplace as this has been demonstrated to create the best results and productivity. There is still a battle to overcome though, with women still being underrepresented in leadership roles in industry and academia. I think us ladies like a challenge though….!
-- Happy Exploring! --
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