6th March 2013 - Geology

We spoke about advances in geology in the early nineteenth century; the reading is detailed below.

1. Chapter 5 of Volume 1 of Charles Lyell's Principles of Geology (1830-33), 'Theoretical Errors which have Retarded the Progress of Geology', which provides a useful summary of the changes in geological thinking which have occurred over the preceding few decades, and which Lyell's book helped popularise. The whole thing's on Project Gutenberg here.

2. An extract from Tennyson's 'In Memoriam'. Feel free to read it all, because it's lovely, but we'll particularly talk about parts 118-124. You can read it here.

3. 'An Avalanche in the Alps' by Philip de Loutherbourg, 'Vesuvius in Eruption' by Joseph Wright of Derby, 'The Evening of the Deluge' by John Martin, and Martin's triptych, known as the Judgement Series; 'The Plains of Heaven', 'The Last Judgement', and 'The Great Day of His Wrath'.