William Maurice "Doc" Ewing (May 12, 1906 – May 4, 1974) was an American geophysicist and oceanographer. May 12 is the 132nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (133rd in leap years). ... 1906 (MCMVI) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... May 4 is the 124th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (125th in leap years). ... 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday. ...

has been described as a pioneering geophysicist who worked on the research of seismic reflection and refraction in ocean basins, ocean bottom photography, submarine sound transmission, deep sea coring 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, natural radio-activity of ocean waters and sediments, study of abyssal plains and submarine canyons. Geophysics, the study of the earth by quantitative physical methods, especially by seismic reflection and refraction, gravity, magnetic, electrical, electromagnetic, and radioactivity methods. ... Seismic reflection data Reflection seismology (or seismic reflection) is a method of exploration geophysics that uses the principles of seismology to estimate the properties of the Earths subsurface from reflected seismic waves. ... The straw seems to be broken, due to refraction of light as it emerges into the air. ... The worlds oceans as seen from the South Pacific Ocean, before the definition of the Southern Ocean in 2000 For other uses, see Ocean (disambiguation). ... Bathymetry is the underwater equivalent to topography. ... Sedimentation describes the motion of particles in solutions or suspensions in response to an external force such as gravity, centrifugal force or electric force. ... Radio-Activity is a 1975 album by Kraftwerk. ... The worlds oceans as seen from the South Pacific Ocean, before the definition of the Southern Ocean in 2000 For other uses, see Ocean (disambiguation). ... Abyssal plains are flat or very gently sloping areas of the deep ocean basin floor. ... A Submarine canyon is a steep-sided valley on the seafloor of the continental slope. ...

He was born in Lockney, Texas, where he was the eldest child of a large farm family. He won a scholarship to attend Rice University, earning a B.A. with honors in 1926. He completing his graduate studies at the same institution, earning a M.A. in 1927 and being awarded his Ph.D. in 1931. In 1928 he was married to Avarilla Hildenbrand, and the couple had a son. Lockney is a town located in Floyd County, Texas. ... Lovett Hall William Marsh Rice University, commonly called Rice University and opened in 1912 as The William Marsh Rice Institute for the Advancement of Letters, Science and Art, is a private, comprehensive research university located in Houston, Texas near the Museum District and adjacent to the Texas Medical Center. ... A Bachelor of Arts (B.A. or A.B.) is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course or program in the arts and/or sciences. ... A Master of Arts is a postgraduate academic masters degree awarded by universities in North America and the United Kingdom (excluding the ancient universities of Scotland and Oxbridge. ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. ...

He moved to Columbia University, 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, and Jack Oliver. The former LDEO research vessel R/V Maurice Ewing was named in his honor. Columbia University is a private research university in the United States. ... Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is a world-class research institution specializing in earth sciences and part of Columbia University. ... Palisades, New York is a very small hamlet located in southeastern Rockland County, New York. ... J. Lamar Worzel (born, 1919), American geophysicist, is a graduate of Lehigh University where he met Dr. Maurice Ewing with whom he had a 40 year working relationship. ... Dr. Frank Press (born December 4, 1924) is an American geophysicist. ... A research vessel is a ship primarily constructed to carry out scientific research at sea. ... R/V Maurice Ewing was a research vessel operated by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University. ...

He divorced a second time, and married Harriet Greene Bassett in 1965. In 1972 he joined the University of Texas Medical Branch, and was named the head of the Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences of the Marine Biomedical Institute. The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston, Texas. ...

During his career he published over 340 scientific papers. He served as president of the American Geophysical Union and the Seismological Society of America. He led over 50 oceanic expeditions. He made many contributions to oceanography, including the discovery of the SOFAR Channel, and did much work fundamental on plate tectonics. He was the chief scientist on board the Glomar Challenger. The American Geophysical Union (or AGU) is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting (as of 2006) of over 49,000 members from over 140 countries. ... Thermohaline circulation Oceanography (from Ocean + Greek γράφειν = write), also called oceanology or marine science, is the branch of Earth Sciences that studies the Earths oceans and seas. ... SOFAR channel stands for SONAR Fixing and Ranging channel. It is a layer of water deep in the ocean (near Bermuda its around 1000 metres deep) where the speed of sound is at a minimum. ... Bridge across the Álfagjá rift valley in southwest Iceland, the boundary of the Eurasian and North American continental tectonic plates. ... The 120m long Glomar Challenger was a deep sea research and Scientific drilling vessel for marine geology studies. ...

Awards and honors

• Penrose Medal, 1974 (posthumously)
• Walter H. Bucher Medal, 1974
• William Bowie Medal, 1957
• Arthur L. Day Medal, 1949
• John J. Carty Medal, 1963
• Distinguished Public Service Award, 1955
• Sidney Powers Memorial Medal, 1968
• Robert Earl McConnell Award, 1973
• National Medal of Science, 1973
• Vega Medal
• Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society, 1964
• Elected to the National Academy of Sciences
• Elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences
• Elected to the American Philosophical Society
• Foreign Member of the Geological Society of London, 1964
• Guggenheim Fellow, 1938, 1953, 1955
• Awarded 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 American Geophysical Union were named after him.
• The lunar wrinkle-ridge Dorsa Ewing was named after him.

The Penrose Medal was created in 1927 by R.A.F. Penrose, Jr. ... The Arthur L. Day Medal is a prize awarded by the Geological Society of America, established in 1948 by Arthur Louis Day for outstanding distinction in contributing to geologic knowledge through the application of physics and chemistry to the solution of geologic problems. 2006 Frank M. Richter 2005 Donald W... Gold Medal awarded to Asaph Hall The Gold Medal is the highest award of the Royal Astronomical Society. ... Guggenheim Fellowships are awarded annually by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation to those who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or exceptional creative ability in the arts. ... The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston (UTMB) is a component of the University of Texas System located in Galveston, Texas. ... The Society of Exploration Geophysicists (or SEG) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the science of geophysics and the education of exploration geophysicists. ... The American Geophysical Union (or AGU) is a nonprofit organization of geophysicists, consisting (as of 2006) of over 49,000 members from over 140 countries. ... Apparent magnitude: up to -12. ... A wrinkle-ridge is a type of feature commonly found on Lunar mares. ... The Moons surface is covered in many interesting geologic features. ...

External links

• W. Maurice Ewing
• William Maurice Ewing Biography
• Maurice Ewing and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory
• The Vetlesen Prize
• Photo