About Esther Applin
Esther Applin (née Richards; November 24, 1895 – July 23, 1972) was an American geologist and paleontologist. She completed her undergraduate degree in 1919 from the University of California, Berkeley. Later, she completed a master's degree which was focused on microfossils. She was a leading figure in the use of microfossils to determine the age of rock formation for use in oil exploration in the Gulf of Mexico region. Her job was to examine microfossils collected in drill holes (especially foraminifera) to determine the age of the rock into which the company was drilling. Applin's discoveries were crucial to successful drilling operations across the entire oil industry. Additionally, her contribution to geology and the study of micropaleontology was pivotal in earning women geologists respect in the field. Applin was born as Esther Richards on November 24, 1895, in Newark, Ohio, to Gary Richards, a civil engineer with the United States Army, and Jennie DeVore.
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