Taking seismic methods to sea
Ewing studied physics at Rice, earning his doctorate in 1931, and applied seismic exploration to continental shelves and oceanic crust. By generating sound and recording returning signals, he and colleagues investigated sediment layers and deeper structures beneath the seabed.
References: [1]
Long-distance underwater sound
At Woods Hole he investigated ocean sound-speed layering and the low-velocity sound channel, exploiting long-range propagation for locating signals. This work also examined how temperature, salinity and pressure influence underwater sound.
References: [1]
Lamont and ocean observation
In 1949 Ewing and his team established an observatory on the Lamont estate. Acquisition of the vessel Vema later expanded continuous seafloor mapping, sampling and geophysical observation, accumulating evidence about ocean-basin structure and history.