Not getting the drift
A new book by Alan Krill takes a hard look at the early ideas of plate-tectonics. Download this book as a PDF for free.
Category: news
Google doodle celebrates Mary Anning
On May 21 this year, Google marked the 215th anniversary of the birth of Mary Anning (1799-1847) with one of its famous cartoons called Google doodles. Google’s doodles are spontaneous changes made to the Google logo in celebration of holidays, anniversaries and the lives of famous artists, pioneers and scientists who have helped shape history. Last […]
Can you help the Archibald Geikie project?
Sir Archibald Geikie (1835-1924) was an eminent Victorian geologist, having been President of both the Geological Society of London, and the Royal Society, the only geologist ever to have held both positions. He retired in 1901 and moved to Haslemere in 1913 where he became chairman of the Haslemere Museum in 1914, after the death […]
Lost Smith map rediscovered
A missing William Smith map of 1815 was discovered at the Geological Society on 19th February, 2014. Archivist, Caroline Lam, has been steadily working through a backlog of uncatalogued material since joining the staff two years ago. Her temporary assistant Victoria was clearing an old drawer of Centenary (1907) items and discovered a set of […]
Leucha Veneer contributes to 'In Our Time' with Melvyn Bragg
Leucha Veneer, HOGG’s Secretary, contributed to In Our Time with Melvyn Bragg on BBC Radio 4 on 30th January, 2014, in a programme entitled ‘Catastrophism’. You can listen to the broadcast by clicking here. Catastrophism is the idea that natural disasters have had a significant influence in moulding the Earth’s geological features. In 1822 William Buckland ascribed most of the fossil […]
Sir John Hill: a biography – by Christopher J. Duffin
John Hill could justly be considered a typical Renaissance Man; his published contributions spanned translations, plays, fiction, satire, theology, history, astronomy, microscopy, zoology, botany, horticulture, medicine, geology, and the conduct of married life. Born the second son of the rather impecunious Anglican cleric, Theophilus Hill (1673-1746), John, a voracious reader, was systematically educated by his […]
Piltdown: 100 years on – timeline
The British Geological Survey has compiled an extremely comprehensive timeline of the Piltdown Man forgery which Hogg commemorated in December 2012 by holding a joint meeting with the Natural History Museum.
November 2014: Geology and Medicine Part 2
Geology and Medicine: Exploring the Historical Links and the Development of Public Health and Forensic Medicine
Geological Society's portrait and bust exhibition
The Archives’ latest online exhibition, ‘The Society’s Portrait and Bust Collection’, focuses on the paintings and sculptures of Fellows and distinguished individuals which are displayed around the rooms and staircase of the Society’s apartments in Burlington House. The exhibition gives an introduction to the sitters depicted and their connections with our organisation, from Mary Anning […]
Revisiting Ardnamurchan
In 1930 James Richey and Herbert Thomas, working for the British Geological Survey, completed their mapping of Ardnamurchan, one of four extinct volcanoes on Scotland’s northwest coast that mark the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean 60 million years ago. Their meticulous work revealed that indeed it was an ancient volcano, with the famous […]