Lecture: The NW Highlands Controversy: Geology, geologists and social climbing in Victorian times
Speaker:
Date and Time
19:00 -
Location
Virtual Talk via Zoom
Lecture Description
The NW Highlands of Scotland probably has the best scenery and geology in the world. You can find the oldest rocks in the British Isles, the first evidence of life, ancient landscapes carved out by preCambrian rivers and beautifully exposed Lower Palaeozoic clastic and carbonate sediments. These all form part of a major fold and thrust belt on which the metamorphosed Moine schists were emplaced.
However, geologist Roderick Impy Murchison saw this as a conformable succession. It is worth asking the question, why did Victorian geologists so completely miss evidence that is so obvious to geologists today? The answers lie in the state of geological science at the time, geopolitics and social climbing. Resolution of the Moine thrust controversy was a turning point in the history of geology gave us the foundations of the science of geology as we now know it.
About Dr. Peter Gutteridge
- Carbonate specialist recently retired from a consulting work for oil companies all over the world, currently continuing with carbonate research as a visiting academic at Manchester University.
- Interested in the Moine thrust controversy since I was an undergraduate at Leeds University.
Attending via Zoom
This lecture will take place online via Zoom.
Bath Geological Society Members: Free of charge. Joining instructions and the Zoom link are sent to members by email prior to the lecture.
Visitors & Non-Members: (including members of the Geologists' Association and affiliated societies) Please book via Eventbrite to receive Zoom access (see the Entry Fee details above).
How to join: Click the Zoom link provided in your email or Eventbrite confirmation. You can join using the Zoom desktop or mobile app, or directly via your web browser without installing any software. The virtual waiting room opens approximately 15 minutes before the scheduled start time, and attendees will be admitted before the talk commences.
For any queries about joining online, please contact [email protected].