Category: History of Geology

To examine how J.W. Dawson thought about coastal erosion, I searched the OCR content of the first edition of Acadian Geology (1855) for relevant terms and concepts. Dawson used the term ‘erosion’ only once, in relation to glacial action. However, in several examples he described examples of coastal erosion as shore “wasting” or cliff sections…

There is no mistaking the experience. When you find yourself looking at the the cliffs of Blomidon, you in a place of significance. You can almost feel the pull from the world’s highest tides that wash these shores twice a day. This is a place of Mi’kmaq legends and an international geological landmark. Charles Lyell…

This online article relates to the “Working With Charles Lyell Workshop” at the University of Edinburgh, February 8-9, 2024. These topics are part of a larger project examining the ‘culture of geology’ and connections between Edinburgh and Nova Scotia. This article focuses on Charles Lyell’s notebooks from his visit to Nova Scotia in July and…