Atmospheric Exploration is a continuation of Thompson's application of scientific phenomena, mathematics and physics to abstraction, much like fellow Washington artist, Alma Thomas Through forms and colors that convey velocity, density, energy, and dynamism, Thompson depicted her personal interpretation of scientific phenomenon and systems—or as she described, "what goes on beneath the earth and things of the atmosphere." Thompson's work can be found in the permanent collections of the Brooklyn Museum, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Museum of Modern Art, the National Museum of Women in the Arts, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, among other institutions.
