Principles of Geology

SIR CHARLES LYELL (1797-1875), British geologist. Lyell is most famous for his great geological opus: The Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface, by Reference to Causes now in Operation (3 vols 1830-33). Jim Secord is a lecturer in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science at Cambridge and is the author of Controversy in Victorian Geology (1986).

Edited with an Introduction by James A. SecordNumbers in italics refer to chapters included only as summaries or in brief extracts List of Illustrations Introduction Further Reading A Note on This Edition Volume I (1830) 1: Objects and Nature of Geology 2-4: Historical Sketch of the Progress of Geology 5: Theoretical Errors which have Retarded the Progress of Geology 6: Assumed Discordance of the Ancient and Existing Causes of Change Controverted - Climate 7: Climate, continued 8: Climate, continued 9. Theory of the Progressive Development of Organic Life 10-17: Aqueous Causes 18-22: Igneous Causes 23-24: Earthquakes and their Effects 25: Earthquakes, continued - Temple of Serapis 26. Causes of Earthquakes and Volcanos Volume II (1832) 1: Changes of the Organic World - Reality of Species 2: Theory of the Transmutation of Species Untenable 3: Limits of the Variability of Species 4: Hybrids 5-7: Geographical Distribution of Species 8: Changes in the Animate World, which Tend to the Extinction of Species 9: Changes in the Animate World, which Tend to the Extinction of Species, continued 10: Changes in the Inorganic World, Tending to the Extinction of Species 11: Whether the Extinction and Creation of Species Can Now be in Progress 12: Modifications in Physical Geography Caused by Plants, the Inferior Animals, and Man 13-16, 17: How the Remains of Man and his Works are becoming Fossil beneath the Waters 18: Corals and Coral Reefs Volume III (1833) 1: Methods of Theorizing in Geology 2: General Arrangement of the Materials Composing the Earth's Crust 3: Different Circumstances under which the Secondary and Tertiary Formations may have Originated 4: Determination of the Relative Ages of Rocks 5: Classification of Tertiary Formations in Chronological Order 6-7: Newer Pliocene Formations - Sicily 8: Rocks of the Same Age in Etna 9: Origin of the Newer Pliocene Strata of Sicily 10-26: Former Changes of the Earth's Surface Concluding Remarks Glossary Notes Bibliography of Reviews Index >