Harry Hess

Harry Hess was an American geologist and naval officer who significantly advanced our understanding of oceanography and plate tectonics in the mid-20th century. He proposed the theory of seafloor spreading, suggesting that new oceanic crust is created at mid-ocean ridges and moves away from them, explaining how continents drift apart. His work helped establish the framework for plate tectonic theory, which reveals how the Earth's lithosphere is divided into plates that move over the semi-fluid asthenosphere beneath. Hess's findings transformed our understanding of Earth’s geological processes, leading to insights about earthquakes, volcanoes, and the formation of ocean basins.