science · 10 November 1924 · 100 years ago
death
Died 10 Nov 1924 at age 88 (born 28 Dec 1835).
Scottish geologist who was the first to clearly and connectedly delineate the effects of glaciation in Scotland (1863). In 1867, he was appointed director of the new branch of the Geological Survey for Scotland until 1881 when he became director-general of the Geological Survey of the United Kingdom. In this latter position, he did much to encourage microscopic petrography. He prepared a geological map of Scotland (1892). Geikie travelled throughout Europe and in western America. He found the canyons of the Colorado confirmed his long-standing fluvial theory of erosion. He also gained experience in volcanic geology. Among other books and texts, he published The Ancient Volcanoes of Great Britain (1897).
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