The book offers a conspectus of important developments in the earth sciences in the twentieth century. The introductory essay considers features of twentieth-century geoscience as a whole (and science more generally), including general trends within geology and its associated disciplines; and it reviews secondary literature on twentieth-century geology. The contributed essays span detailed discussions of particular issues, such as the application of the phase rule to metamorphic petrology; surveys of fields such as sedimentology and palynology; delineation of broad fields such as 'planetary geology', mathematical geology, and metamorphic geology; discussions of individual scientists' contributions (Norman Bowen, Arthur Holmes, Victor Goldschmidt, and Marie Tharp); an oral history account of the emergence of terrane theory; discussions of trends or problems within fields such as geomagnetism and stratigraphy; the social context of geology as regards palaeontological collecting and some of the Russian responses to the advent of plate-tectonic theory.

Also available:

The Role of Women in the History of Geology: Special Publication no 281 - ISBN 1862392277
The Making of the Geological Society of London - Special Publication 317 - ISBN 9781862392779

The Geological Society of London

Founded in 1807, the Geological Society of London is the oldest geological society in the world, and one of the largest publishers in the Earth sciences.

The Society publishes a wide range of high-quality peer-reviewed titles for academics and professionals working in the geosciences, and enjoys an enviable international reputation for the quality of its work.

The many areas in which we publish in include:

-Petroleum geology
-Tectonics, structural geology and geodynamics
-Stratigraphy, sedimentology and paleontology
-Volcanology, magmatic studies and geochemistry
-Remote sensing
-History of geology
-Regional geology guides