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James Hutton

Wiliam Whewell

Charles Darwin

Sources:

Wilson, Leonard. The years to 1841: The Revolution in Geology. New Haven London,Yale Univeristy Press, 1972.

Bailey, Edward. Charles Lyell. Garden City, New York, Doubleday and Company, Inc. 1963.

Marshak, Stephen. Essentials of Geology. New York and London, W.W. Norton & Company.

Scottish Geology. com. September 13, 2003. Home page http://www.scottishgeology.com/ accessed April 10, 2005.

Vicotorianweb.net Septemper 28, 2002. Home page http://www.victorianweb.org/science/lyell.html accessed April 12, 2005.

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Malaspina Great Books. Established in 1995. Home page: http://www.malaspina.org/home.asp?topic=./search/details&lastpage=./search/results&ID=216 accessed April 12, 2005.

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All About Science. org Copyright 2002-2005 Home page: http://www.allaboutscience.org/sir-charles-lyell-faq.htm

Charles Lyell

Charles Lyell the III son of Frances Lyell and Charles Lyell II was born in 1797 on a family estate in Scotland. He was the eldest of ten children. His father was well known for his translations of Dante and as a prominent botanist. The plant Lyllia is named after Charles Lyell II. Charles Lyell III grew up, for the most part, in London. He had access to the vast library owned by his family. Because of this he was well educated and was able to cultivate a growing interest in the natural sciences. As a young boy Charles was educated in several private boys schools along with his closest sibling Tom.

In 1816 he entered Exeter College, Oxford. Here the lectures of Dr. Buckland first sparked his interest in Geology. Upon graduating from this institution in 1821 with two degrees he spent several years as a lawyer. However his poor eyesight prevented him from continuing in this profession. During his time as a lawyer he continued to dabble in geology. He went on several field expeditions with Dr. Buckland. in 1822 he finished his first geological essays On Recent Formation of Freshwater Limestone in Forfarshire. These essays eventually earned him a position with the Royal Geological society of England.

Lyell along with Roderick Murchison and George Poulett Scrope become opponents of the currently held theory that earths geological structures were created in accordance with the Biblical time scale. This theory attributed changes having occurred in earths past to large scale catastrophes such as Noah's flood. Lyell advocated the discoveries of James Hutton. He believed that all current land formations could be explained by the progression of current processes over extended periods of time. This theory assumed that natural law has and will always act in the way that it currently acts. Earthquakes, volcanoes and erosion, according to Lyell could explain all of earth’s formations. This theory was later dubbed Uniformitarianism by William Whewell (another prominent scientist of the time).

In 1830 Lyell completed his first version of: The Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface, by Reference to Causes now in Operation. This was his first major publication and caused a controversy due to the fact that it directly contradicted firmly held religious beliefs that the earth was created much more recently. In this book he retells Hutton’s observations as well as explaining his own observations from his travels.
During the following two years he revised this book twice. Principles explain Lyell's belief that the current intensity of natural processes has always remained the same. From this theory he conjectured that since a specific date of creation, all species of life have remained the same. This belief stemmed from his religious feelings and was later revised.

Lyell used Roman pillars from The Temple of Jupiter Serapis at Pozzuoli to demonstrate his theories. These pillars had obviously been built on solid ground, then at some point become submerged in water due to a change in the land scrape, then been pushed up above sea level once again. He determined this by dark bans of color on the pillars and holes that could only be caused by sea life drilling into the stone. The fact that these man made structures could witness such change in the land scrape over several thousand years proved that over many more thousands and even millions of years whole mountains could be built and eroded away again.

In 1832 Lyell was married to Mary Elizabeth Horner. From 1831-3 he occupied the Chair of Geology at King's College London. Lyell lectured at the above college for only one year during this year he opened his lectures to the public even women, though they were quickly excluded again because they 'diverted the attention of the young students' (Bailey, p. 98)

In 1835 Lyell completed a small simple text called Elements of Geology. Principles was in its forth addition, this printing had undergone several drastic changes due to new discoveries. During this year he also became president of the Geological Society, this included several long speeches every year. During this time Lyell went on several geological excursions with his wife all over Europe.

During this time a friendship between Charles Lyell and a young Charles Darwin becomes apparent. Darwin used Principles as a resources and research tool on his trips to South America. Lyell and Darwin were in constant communication via the post. In fact, Darwin dedicated one of his scientific works to Lyell stating that Principles allowed him the background knowledge he needed to make his observations. However, until a much later date Darwin was unable to convince Lyell of the evolution of species.

Around 1840 several prominent geologist began to write about glaciers. Hutton had briefly discussed them but he had no first hand knowledge and only briefly mentions them. Lyell began to study 'erratics' or rocks that do not coincide with the local geology. He determined that these may have been carried there by large sheets of ice. Though he was not the first scientist to explore glaciations he did write about it in detail in the seventh and eight editions of Principles.

In the years between 1841 and 1846 Lyell made two separate visits (accompanied by his wife) to North America. During these visits he wrote Travels in America and A second visit to the United States of North America. During this time he was able to explore Glaciers and erosion further. He also taught in Boston and traveled all over the continent. Lyell was Knighted in 1848 for his accomplishments in the field of geology.

Though for many years Lyell refused to believe in the evolution of man through his travels and discoveries of ancient artifacts he came to believe and support Darwin’s theories. Lyell helped Darwin and Alfred Russel Wallace peacefully co-publish the theory of natural selction in 1858. In 1863 Lyell published The Geological Evidences of the Antiquity of Man. This book explored evidence he had found in his travels for the existence of man long before previously concluded. He won the Copley Medal in 1858 and the Wollaston Medal in 1866.

During Lyell’s lifetime Principles enjoyed twelve editions. Lyell died in 1875 and was honored by being buried in Westminster Abby. His contributions to geology and science in general were immense.

Temple of Serapis at Pozzuoli. Lyell used the color bands to show that it was submerged in water because of geological processes then eventually raised above sea level again because of these processes.

From

http://www.geologie.uni-freiburg.de/root/people/pflug/stereo/image.html

Copyright © 2005 Earlham College. Revised April 12, 2005 . Send corrections or comments to parkero@earlham.edu