Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
  1. Home
  2. Series
  3. Cambridge Library Collection - Earth Science

In the nineteenth century, geology emerged as a distinct academic discipline. It pointed the way towards the theory of evolution, as scientists including Gideon Mantell, Adam Sedgwick, Charles Lyell and Roderick Murchison began to use the evidence of minerals, rock formations and fossils to demonstrate that the Earth was older by millions of years than the conventional, Bible-based wisdom had supposed. They argued convincingly that the climate, flora and fauna of the distant past could be deduced from geological evidence. Volcanic activity, the formation of mountains, and the action of glaciers and rivers, tides and ocean currents also became better understood. This series includes landmark publications by pioneers of the modern earth sciences, who advanced the scientific understanding of our planet and the processes by which it is constantly re-shaped.

Refine search

Refine search

Content type:
Publication date:
Subject: Show more
Journals Show more
Publishers: Show more
Series: Show more
Collections: Show more

Actions for selected content:

Select all | Deselect all
  • View selected items
  • Export citations
  • Download PDF (zip)
  • Save to Kindle
  • Save to Dropbox
  • Save to Google Drive

Save Search

You can save your searches here and later view and run them again in "My saved searches".

Please provide a title, maximum of 40 characters.
Cancel
×

149 results in Cambridge Library Collection - Earth Science

Page 5 of 8

Views of Nature
  • Or Contemplations on the Sublime Phenomena of Creation
  • Alexander von Humboldt
  • Translated by Elise C. Otté, Henry George Bohn
  • Published online:
    05 May 2012
    Print publication:
    08 December 2011
    First published in:
    1850
  • Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859) was an intellectual giant: an explorer who helped lay the foundations of biogeography, a naturalist who influenced Charles Darwin, and a botanist who developed a model of the Earth's climate zones. He travelled extensively in Europe, carried out scientific explorations across the Russian Empire and in Latin America, and devoted much energy to seeking a unified view of the different branches of scientific knowledge. Ansichten der Natur, published in 1808 with a second edition in 1826, aimed to 'engage the imagination' as well as to communicate new ideas, and was translated into many European languages. This authorised translation of the third and final 1849 edition, dating from Humboldt's eightieth year, was published in 1850, though another English translation (by Mrs Sabine) had appeared the previous year. The wide coverage, including geology, geography and biology, is typical of Humboldt, as is the precise and engaging style.

Life, Letters and Journals of Sir Charles Lyell, Bart
  • Volume 2
  • Charles Lyell
  • Edited by K. M. Lyell
  • Published online:
    05 April 2012
    Print publication:
    11 November 2010
    First published in:
    1881
  • Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875) was one of the most renowned geologists of the nineteenth century. He was awarded the Copley Medal by the Royal Society in 1858 and the Wollaston Medal by the Geological Society of London in 1866 for his contributions to geology. Lyell's most important contribution to modern geology was his refining and popularising the geological concept of uniformitarianism, the idea that the earth has been formed through slow-acting geological forces. This biography, first published in 1881 and edited by his sister-in-law K. M. Lyell, provides an intimate view of Lyell's personal and professional life through the inclusion of his correspondence with family, friends and academic peers. His changing ideas concerning the validity of the theory of natural selection and other geological ideas are also examined through the inclusion of extracts from his private journal. Volume 2 contains Lyell's later career from 1837–1875.

Mont Pelée and the Tragedy of Martinique
  • A Study of the Great Catastrophes of 1902, with Observations and Experiences in the Field
  • Angelo Heilprin
  • Published online:
    05 April 2012
    Print publication:
    19 May 2011
    First published in:
    1903
  • The geologist and explorer Angelo Heilprin (1853–1907) was one of the first scientists to climb the erupting volcano Mont Pelée in 1902. This study, published the following year, records his on-the-spot observations and the scientific data he collected. The erupting volcano tragically destroyed the city of St Pierre, transforming the tropical paradise of Martinique into disastrous chaos. Heilprin's account includes close-range photographs of the erupting volcano taken by the author himself, illustrating the various phases of its activity. These famous photographs are still widely used today. Heilprin pays tribute to the people of the island, describing the courteous assistance he received during his visits. He compares the Pelée eruptions with Mount Vesuvius and its effects on Pompeii, providing important historical context. The book is recognised as being the most thorough study of the eruption sequence and its consequences - one of the greatest natural disasters of the twentieth century.

Lake Superior
  • Its Physical Character, Vegetation, and Animals Compared with Those of Other and Similar Regions
  • Louis Agassiz
  • Published online:
    05 April 2012
    Print publication:
    22 September 2011
    First published in:
    1850
  • Written by Swiss–born geologist and explorer Louis Agassiz (1807–73), this 1850 publication was the first detailed scientific account of the natural phenomena of Lake Superior. Agassiz, who became a professor at Harvard and later founded the Harvard Museum of Comparative Zoology, was the first scientist to suggest that the earth had experienced an ice age. In the summer of 1848 he led an expedition of his students to Lake Superior, to examine the northern shores, which had previously received very little attention from scientists. The artist James Elliot Cabot (1821–1903), who was included in the party, wrote the 'narrative' of the tour to accompany the scientific report, and this makes up the first part of the work. The rest of the book describes the geological phenomena and zoological distribution in and around the lake, comparing it with similar regions of the world.

Life, Letters and Journals of Sir Charles Lyell, Bart
  • Volume 1
  • Charles Lyell
  • Edited by K. M. Lyell
  • Published online:
    05 April 2012
    Print publication:
    11 November 2010
    First published in:
    1881
  • Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875) was one of the most renowned geologists of the nineteenth century. He was awarded the Copley Medal by the Royal Society in 1858 and the Wollaston Medal by the Geological Society of London in 1866 for his contributions to geology. Lyell's most important contribution to modern geology was his refining and popularising the geological concept of uniformitarianism, the idea that the earth has been formed through slow-acting geological forces. This biography, first published in 1881 and edited by his sister-in-law K. M. Lyell, provides an intimate view of Lyell's personal and professional life through the inclusion of his correspondence with family, friends and academic peers. His changing ideas concerning the validity of the theory of natural selection and other geological ideas are also examined through the inclusion of extracts from his private journal. Volume 1 covers Lyell's early life and career until 1836.

Travels in North America
  • With Geological Observations on the United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia
  • Volume 1
  • Charles Lyell
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    16 September 2010
    First published in:
    1845
  • Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875) was one of the most renowned geologists of the nineteenth century. His Principles of Geology (also reissued in this series) laid the foundations of evolutionary biology, and greatly influenced Darwin. Lyell's most important contribution to modern geology was his refining and popularising of the concept of uniformitarianism, the idea that the earth has been formed through slow-acting geological forces over billions of years. These volumes, first published in 1845, are the result of Lyell's 1841 lecture tour across the United States and Canada, in the course of which he made many observations on the formation of the American landscape. Using the popular format of a travel diary, Lyell provides vivid and detailed descriptions of North American geology, with discussions of important geological sites. Volume 1 contains his travels from Boston to North Carolina.

The Geology and Extinct Volcanos of Central France
  • George Poulett Scrope
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    02 June 2011
    First published in:
    1858
  • George Poulett Scrope (1797–1876) was a British geologist who studied at Cambridge, where his teachers included Adam Sedgwick, and who became a close colleague of Charles Lyell. As an undergraduate he developed a lifelong fascination with volcanos, inspired by visits to Vesuvius and Etna. After graduating in 1821 he spent six months exploring extinct volcanos of the Massif Central in France, and he returned to Naples to witness the 1822 eruption of Vesuvius. In 1825 he published Considerations on Volcanos (also reissued in this series), and in 1826 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. His pioneering work on France was originally published in 1827 as Memoir on the Geology of Central France and later revised for the 1858 edition reissued here. It contains detailed descriptions and illustrations of volcanos, and argues that the concept of geological time is important for the understanding of mineralogy and volcanism.

Travels in the Island of Iceland, during the Summer of the Year 1810
  • George Steuart Mackenzie
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    30 April 2011
    First published in:
    1811
  • Sir George Steuart Mackenzie (1780–1848) was a Scottish baronet whose interests included chemistry and geology. This work, first published in 1811, is his account of his voyage to Iceland in 1810 for the purposes of mineralogical research. Accompanied by physicians Henry Holland and Richard Bright, Mackenzie surveyed volcanoes, geysers and the other geological features of the island. In addition to reporting the results of the expedition's scientific exploration, this charming and evocative journal describes the history, culture, attire and cuisine of the islanders. Also included are Richard Bright's observations on the zoology and botany of Iceland and a survey of the health of the population by Henry Holland, who introduced smallpox inoculation during his visit. Written in an easy, accessible style, this account brings to life the sights, smells and tastes of the tour and the often rudimentary accommodation and travel conditions.

Physicalische Beschreibung der Canarischen Inseln
  • Leopold von Buch
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    19 May 2011
    First published in:
    1825
  • The German geologist Leopold von Buch (1774–1853) was a fellow-student of Alexander von Humboldt, with whom he later did fieldwork that led to important advances in the understanding of the Jurassic system and the origins of basalt. In 1815 Buch and the Norwegian botanist Christian Smith spent several months in the Canary Isles, and the resulting book, which appeared in 1825, is one of Buch's most important publications. It contains three papers Buch had previously published in journals, on flora (1816), the 1730 eruption on Lanzarote (1818) and temperature (1820), with additional chapters on population, land area and economics, the measurement of altitude, mineralogy, and detailed comparative data on volcanoes around the world. The substantial introduction includes a journal that records Buch's enthusiasm for the islands' scenery, natural history and people, and an obituary of Smith, who died in 1816 on a research trip to the Congo.

Travels in North America
  • With Geological Observations on the United States, Canada, and Nova Scotia
  • Volume 2
  • Charles Lyell
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    16 September 2010
    First published in:
    1845
  • Sir Charles Lyell (1797–1875) was one of the most renowned geologists of the nineteenth century. His Principles of Geology (also reissued in this series) laid the foundations of evolutionary biology, and greatly influenced Darwin. Lyell's most important contribution to modern geology was his refining and popularising of the concept of uniformitarianism, the idea that the earth has been formed through slow-acting geological forces over billions of years. These volumes, first published in 1845, are the result of Lyell's 1841 lecture tour across the United States and Canada, in the course of which he made many observations on the formation of the American landscape. Using the popular format of a travel diary, Lyell provides vivid and detailed descriptions of North American geology, with discussions of important geological sites. Volume 2 contains his travels in Canada.

A Sketch of the Physical Structure of Australia
  • So Far as it is at Present Known
  • Joseph Beete Jukes
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    11 May 2011
    First published in:
    1850
  • The geologist Joseph Beete Jukes (1811–1869) studied at Cambridge under Adam Sedgwick (1785–1873). In 1841, having already gained field experience in England and Newfoundland, he joined the H.M.S. Fly as a naturalist for an upcoming four-year expedition to chart the coasts of Australia and New Guinea. In 1847, he published a two-volume Narrative of the Surveying Voyage of H.M.S. Fly (also reissued in this series). That was followed in 1850 by this pioneering study of the geology of Australia, which drew on Jukes' own observations as well as on some earlier work. It describes features including the mountains along the East coast, raised beaches, alluvial plains and the Great Barrier Reef, and rock types from limestone and sandstone to granite and lava. The book made an important contribution to the scientific literature on Australia at a time when that continent was still largely unknown to European scholars.

The Natural History of Igneous Rocks
  • Alfred Harker
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    19 May 2011
    First published in:
    1909
  • Alfred Harker (1859–1939) was a prominent petrologist who spent his career at St John's College, Cambridge, lecturing on and researching rock formations and related geological activity. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1902, and was president of the Geological Society from 1916 to 1918. He used his Cambridge lectures as the foundation for this book (first published in 1909), offering an introduction to the development of rocks and related volcanic activity. With more than one hundred diagrams of various aspects of geological formations, this work also provides a visual guide to the location and formation of igneous rocks. Over the course of the work, he covers the themes of vulcanicity, rock structure, crystallization, the role of magma and the principles of rock classification, giving a broad picture of the field of petrology around the beginning of the twentieth century.

The Life and Letters of Hugh Miller
  • Volume 1
  • Peter Bayne
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    02 June 2011
    First published in:
    1871
  • This biography, edited by the writer and critic Peter Bayne (1830–1896), was published in 1844. Miller (1802–1856), a Scottish geologist, palaeontologist and evangelical Christian, is best known for his geological arguments for the existence of God. Miller sought to demonstrate the accuracy of the biblical creation story by demonstrating that the seven days of creation correspond to seven geological periods. Volume 1 covers Miller's early life, family, education and apprenticeship as a stonemason, and includes a selection of letters, both private and public, including two that expound his developing views on religion. The work is a key source for the life and thought of this fascinating nineteenth-century man whose life was marked by a passionate commitment to both science and religion and the ongoing attempt to reconcile the two. It will invigorate and entertain the modern-day reader.

The Fossils of the South Downs
  • Or, Illustrations of the Geology of Sussex
  • Gideon Algernon Mantell
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    30 September 2010
    First published in:
    1822
  • Gideon Mantell (1790–1852) was an English physician and geologist best known for pioneering the scientific study of dinosaurs. After an apprenticeship to a local surgeon in Sussex, Mantell became a member of the Royal College of Surgeons in 1811. He developed an interest in fossils, and in 1822 his discovery of fossil teeth which he later identified as belonging to an iguana-like creature he named Iguanadon spurred research into ancient fossils. This volume, first published in 1822, contains Mantell's early research into fossil remains of southern England. Arranged according to rock type and strata, Mantell provides descriptions and analysis of fossil tropical plants, fish, molluscs and what he described as 'an animal of the lizard tribe, of enormous magnitude'. This volume was the first published work to describe a collection of dinosaur remains and provides a fascinating view of early palaeontological research before the formation of the discipline.

Traité de Géognosie
  • Ou, Exposé des Connaissances Actuelles sur la Constitution Physique et Minérale du Globe Terrestre
  • Volume 1
  • Jean Francois Aubuisson de Voisins
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    30 June 2011
    First published in:
    1819
  • Jean François Aubuisson de Voisins (1769–1841) was a French geologist and engineer who studied under Abraham Gottlob Werner at Freiberg together with Humboldt, von Buch and Jameson. Werner had coined the term geognosy to define a science based on the recognition of the order, position and relation of the layers forming the earth. His theory of the marine origins of the Earth's crust (Neptunism) was widely accepted at the time. Aubuisson however showed that igneous rocks such as basalt were similar to surface lava flows, and were not chemical precipitates of the ocean. His two-volume Traité de Géognosie, published in 1819, was one of the earliest geology books in French. It was highly successful, and gained him wide professional recognition. Volume 1 examines the earth, its size, atmosphere and oceans. Aubuisson describes the various processes that affect the surface of the earth, and how mineral deposits are laid down.

A Stratigraphical System of Organized Fossils
  • With Reference to the Specimens of the Original Geological Collection in the British Museum
  • William Smith
  • Published online:
    05 March 2012
    Print publication:
    28 October 2010
    First published in:
    1817
  • William Smith (1768–1839) was a civil engineer and canal surveyor known as the 'Father of Geology' who developed and pioneered the concept of stratigraphy. Through his work with canal building Smith become familiar with many different types of rock throughout Britain. He realized that fossils were specific to a certain strata of rock and that rock strata could be identified and correlated by the fossils they contained. Smith used this knowledge to publish the renowned first geological map of Britain in 1815. This volume, first published in 1817, contains Smith's catalogue of his fossil collection for the British Museum. Smith catalogues the fossils according to the rock strata and location in which they were found, together with a brief description of the fossil. This volume was the first published example of rock strata used as a cataloguing principle which demonstrated the practical nature of Smith's system of stratigraphy.

System of Mineralogy
  • Volume 3
  • Robert Jameson
  • Published online:
    05 February 2012
    Print publication:
    30 June 2011
    First published in:
    1816
  • Robert Jameson (1774–1854) was a renowned geologist who held the chair of natural history at Edinburgh from 1804 until his death. A pupil of Gottlob Werner at Freiberg, he was in turn one of Charles Darwin's teachers. Originally a follower of Werner's influential theory of Neptunism to explain the formation of the earth's crust, and an opponent of Hutton and Playfair, he was later won over by the idea that the earth was formed by natural processes over geological time. He was a controversial writer, accused of bias towards those who shared his Wernerian sympathies such as Cuvier, while attacking Playfair, Hutton and Lyell. He built up an enormous collection of geological specimens, which provided the evidence for his System of Mineralogy, first published in 1808 and here reprinted from the second edition of 1816. Volume 3 deals with metal ores such as gold, iron and lead.

Bibliografia del Vesuvio
  • Compilata e Corredata di Note Critiche Estratte dai Più Autorevoli Scrittori Vesuviani
  • Edited by Federigo Furchheim
  • Published online:
    05 February 2012
    Print publication:
    23 June 2011
    First published in:
    1897
  • This Italian work, published in Naples in 1897, provides a comprehensive bibliography of works, published in Europe and the United States prior to the twentieth century, on the subject of Mount Vesuvius. Federigo Furchheim (b. 1844) begins with the famous eruption of 1631, on the ground that ancient accounts are sufficiently well known, and that reports and descriptions before the seventeenth century are not reliable. The bibliography is wide-ranging and includes works on other volcanos (such as Santorini), earthquakes and mineralogy. Nor is it confined to factual observations: travel writing, poetry, and even fiction, including Bulwer Lytton's The Last Days of Pompeii, appear alongside scientists such as Sir Humphry Davy and enthusiastic amateurs such as Sir William Hamilton. The book includes a chronological listing of published maps and illustrations, and an appendix, arranged chronologically and by topic, that briefly lists ancient and medieval accounts as well as more modern publications.

Journal of a Tour in Iceland, in the Summer of 1809
  • Volume 1
  • William Jackson Hooker
  • Published online:
    05 February 2012
    Print publication:
    02 May 2011
    First published in:
    1813
  • Sir William Jackson Hooker (1785–1865) was an eminent British botanist, best known for expanding and developing the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew into a leading centre of botanic research and conservation. At the age of nineteen he undertook an expedition to Iceland, his first outside Britain. Unfortunately, all his specimens and notes were destroyed in a fire on the return voyage (described in Volume 1), but he was able, with the help of the notes made by Sir Joseph Banks on an earlier expedition, to write this account. His work was first published privately in 1811, but a second edition was published in 1813 and is reproduced here. Volume 1 gives a brief history of Iceland, before Hooker begins his detailed observations of the people and topography, and the flora and fauna he found. His accounts of the lives of the people of the island are of particular interest.

Letters and Extracts from the Addresses and Occasional Writings of J. Beete Jukes, M.A., F.R.S., F.G.S.
  • Joseph Beete Jukes
  • Edited by C. A. Browne
  • Published online:
    05 February 2012
    Print publication:
    11 May 2011
    First published in:
    1871
  • The geologist Joseph Beete Jukes (1811–1869) studied at Cambridge under Adam Sedgwick (1785–1873). Between 1839 and 1846, he participated in expeditions to the coasts of Newfoundland, Australia and New Guinea. This posthumous book, edited by Jukes' sister and published in 1871, contains selected highlights from Jukes' professional and personal writings. After a short biographical sketch, the material is arranged chronologically, beginning with Newfoundland and Australia and then focusing on Britain and Ireland, where Jukes was involved with national geological surveys. Linking passages by the editor explain the contexts of the pieces, and the book includes a list of Jukes' publications. Jukes lived during an exciting period that saw far-reaching discoveries and advances in his field, and his energy and enthusiasm permeates even his technical communications. Modern readers, like the original audience, will form a vivid impression of Jukes' lively personality, his 'penetrating glance and his sturdy step'.

Page 5 of 8