John Whitehurst (1713–1788): philosopher, geologist, horologist and engineer

Among the late 18th-century pioneers of geological science was John Whitehurst. He set the scene for the early Derbyshire geologists, White Watson and John Farey, whose books were not published until 1811, long after Whitehurst's death. But Whitehurst's ideas went beyond Derbyshire; he looked at the global situation in his book An Inquiry into the Original State & Formation of the Earth (1778, 1786). Whitehurst was a founder member of the influential Lunar Society and a close friend of many philosophers of the period.     

JOHANNES WALTHER (1860–1937)

A new series presenting vignettes of the life and times of early notables, confirming the fact that all is not milk and honey in the pursuit of knowledge,     

William Buckland (1784–1856)

This year marks the 150th anniversary of William Buckland's death. One of the liveliest characters in the early history of our science, Buckland was a keen observer, indefatigable scholar, enthusiastic field geologist, inspirational communicator and possessed of an innovative mind which could quickly embrace, process and apply new ideas. His influence on an emerging discipline during its arguably most formative years in the early nineteenth century, and upon subsequent generations of Earth science scholars, should not be underestimated.     

From dog sledge to satellite: Knud Ellitsgaard‐Rasmussen (1923–2009), geologist

Knud Ellitsgaard‐Rasmussen's career spanned an astounding period of change in the science. He was not a geologist whose name was widely known and it is probably true to say that few students today, even in his native Denmark, have heard of him. He was nevertheless a figure of huge importance to geological research in his role as someone who directed geology along very productive lines, creating an environment which was highly conducive to the successful careers of many talented researchers. He saw and presided over geology as it evolved from the heroic days of an individual with a dog‐sledge and a microscope to later days with armies of personnel, aircraft, marine geophysical vessels, the GPS and the ICP‐MS. He led the mapping of a subcontinent.     

Louis Agassiz (1807–1873): a passion for fishes

This year marks the bicentenary of the birth of Louis Agassiz, a Swiss whose aim was to be the premier naturalist of his time. His father's assessment of him was that he had 'a mania for rushing full gallop into the future'. His life was marked by the production of grandiose schemes, many of which he had the drive to complete. In addition to his massive ambition, he had a brilliant intellect, charming manner and boundless energy. These qualities often lead to his schemes coming to fruition, occasionally against tremendous odds, although sometimes with great cost to his health and personal relationships.     

The local geologist 13: A beginner's guide to the field study of sedimentary rocks

Geology is primarily afield study, and no matter what information is collected from detailed study of hand specimens and thin sections in the laboratory, this must be related to the outcrops in order to develop a geological interpretation of a sequence of rocks. Here we focus on the type of information that should be collected when studying sedimentary rocks in the field, and highlight the main techniques employed.     

ELEVEN GOLD GEOCHEMICAL REFERENCE SAMPLES (GAU 8–18)

Eleven gold geochemical reference samples, GAu 8–18, have been prepared by the Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, People's Republic of China. The concentration range of gold in these samples is from 0.5 ng/g to 10 μg/g. Fifteen Chinese Institutes, experienced in gold analysis of geological samples, have participated in the certification procedure using seven reliable analytical methods.     

Decompressed eclogites in the Sveconorwegian (–Grenvillian) orogen of SW Sweden: petrology and tectonic implications

Relict eclogites and associated high-pressure rocks are present in the Eastern Segment of the SW Swedish gneiss region (the tectonic counterpart of the Parautochthonous Belt of the Canadian Grenville). These rocks give evidence of Sveconorwegian eclogite facies metamorphism and subsequent pervasive reworking and deformation at granulite and amphibolite facies conditions. The best-preserved eclogite relics suggest a clockwise P–T –t history, beginning in the amphibolite facies, progressing through the eclogite facies, decompressing and partially reequilibrating through the high- and medium-pressure granulite facies, before cooling through the amphibolite facies. Textures demonstrate the former coexistence of the plagioclase-free assemblages garnet+clinopyroxene+quartz+rutile+ilmenite, garnet+clinopyroxene+ kyanite+rutile, and garnet+kyanite+quartz+rutile. The former existence of omphacite is evidenced by up to 45 vol.% plagioclase expelled as small grains within large clinopyroxene. Matrix plagioclase is secondary and occurs expelled from clinopyroxene or in fine-grained, granulite facies reaction domains formed during resorption of garnet and kyanite. Garnet shows preserved prograde growth zoning with rimward increasing pyrope content, decreasing spessartine content and decreasing Fe/(Fe+Mg) ratio, but is partly resorbed and reequilibrated at the rims. P–T estimates from microdomains with clinopyroxene+plagioclase+quartz+garnet indicate pressures of 9.5–12 kbar and temperatures of 705–795 °C for a stage of the granulite facies decompression. The preservation of the prograde zoning suggests that the rocks did not reside at these high temperatures for more than a few million years, and chemical disequilibrium and ‘frozen’ reaction textures indicate heterogeneous reaction progress and overstepping of reactions during the decompression through the granulite facies. Together these features suggest a rapid tectonic exhumation. The eclogite relics occur within a high-grade deformation zone with WNW–ESE stretching and associated oblique normal-sense, top-to-the-east (sensu lato) displacement, suggesting that extension was a main cause for the decompression and exhumation. Probable tectonic scenarios for this deformation are Sveconorwegian late-orogenic gravitational collapse or overall WNW–ESE extension.     

From free good to commodity: Universalizing the provision of water in Paris (1830–1930)

This article focuses on the water distribution network in Paris, from the 1830s, when most Parisians got their water from public fountains and private wells, to the 1930s, by which time almost all of the capital’s inhabitants had been connected to the same network and enjoyed a standard service. It contributes, by a detailed analysis of the entire chain of mediators and mediation, to specify how the modern infrastructure ideal actually took form. In that aim, we analyze the manner in which each actor (public as well as private), in accordance with his/her constraints and resources, which depend on his/her position in the social space, was able to conceive of his/her environment, define objectives, confront problems, make choices and deploy a whole range of frequently innovative practices. In order to understand the underlying factors, our task consists in identifying the actors, modi operandi, progress and phases involved in universalizing water services. Spatially analyzing the extension of the water network, this article demonstrates that the process of universalization, far from being the inexorable and linear outcome of the action of a small number of “major historical forces”, was the upshot of the actions of a whole range of actors acting in specific different geographical, social, economic and technical contexts. The achievement of the “modern infrastructural ideal” as a macro-social phenomenon was ultimately down to a long accumulation process of a multitude of actions, interactions, conflicts and learning processes.     

Sapphirine in SW Sweden: a record of Sveconorwegian (–Grenvillian) late-orogenic tectonic exhumation

In the Sveconorwegian granulite region of SW Sweden, sapphirine occurs in reaction coronas in Mg- and Al-rich kyanite eclogites which form parts of mafic complexes. Aluminous to peraluminous sapphirine forms symplectitic intergrowths with plagioclase±corundum±spinel after kyanite. Kyanite and omphacite were the main reactants in the formation of sapphirine. The sapphirine formed during decompression from the eclogite facies ( P >15  kbar) through the high- to medium-pressure granulite and upper amphibolite facies at c. 750  °C. Preserved growth zoning in garnet, frozen-in reaction textures, and chemical disequilibrium suggest a rapid tectonic exhumation. Ductile deformation in the surrounding gneisses and parts of the mafic complex is characterized by foliation development, WNW–ESE stretching and dynamic recrystallization under granulite to upper amphibolite facies conditions, simultaneous with the sapphirine formation. This decompression, high-grade re-equilibration and associated deformation took place during the exhumation of the Sveconorwegian eclogites, bracketed between 969±14 and 956±7  Ma. Probable tectonic causes are late-orogenic gravitational collapse and/or plate divergence following the Sveconorwegian–Grenvillian continent–continent collision. There are no indications of metastability of aluminous and peraluminous sapphirine in the decompressed kyanite eclogites; sapphirine is stable in amphibole-poor and amphibolitized varieties, including rocks that have undergone dynamic recrystallization. Close similarities between rocks from different parts of the world with respect to reaction textures suggests that sapphirine+plagioclase-forming reactions are a universal feature in high-temperature decompressed kyanite eclogites.     

The sedimentary response to a pioneer geo‐engineering project: Tracking the Kander River deviation in the sediments of Lake Thun (Switzerland)

Human activities such as river corrections and deviations, lake‐level regulations and installations of hydropower plants affect and often strongly modify natural processes in lacustrine systems. In 1714, the previously bypassing Kander River was deviated into peri‐alpine Lake Thun. This pioneering geo‐engineering project, the first river correction of such dimensions in Switzerland, doubled the water and sediment input to the lake. In order to evaluate the sedimentary consequences of the Kander River deviation, the lacustrine sediments were investigated using a combined approach of high‐resolution (3·5 kHz) reflection seismic data and sediment cores (maximum length 2·5 m). The significance of this study is increased by the possible hazard represented by ammunition dumped into the lake (from 1920 to 1960) and by the recent installation of a gas pipeline on the lake floor in 2007/2008. The first 130 years after the river deviation were dominated by an extremely high sediment input, which led to the frequent occurrence of subaquatic mass movements. Slope failures primarily occur due to rapid sediment accumulation, but were occasionally triggered in combination with earthquake‐induced shocks and lake‐level fluctuations. After 1840, mass‐movement activity and sedimentation rates decreased due to a reduced sediment input as the Kander River adjusted to its new base level and, to a smaller degree, by further engineering of the Kander River bed and gravel withdrawal at the Kander Delta. A further consequence of the Kander River deviation is that the shores around Lake Thun have been more frequently affected by flooding due to the increased water input. In the time span from 1850 to 2006, six historically and/or instrumentally documented flood events could be correlated to flood turbidites in the sediment cores. This study demonstrates the significant usefulness of lacustrine sediments, not only in archiving natural hazards and human impact but also in assessing the consequences of future anthropogenic interventions on lacustrine systems.     

Report (1968–1978) on Two Mica Reference Samples: Biotite Mica-Fe and Phlogopite Mica-Mg

Since 1967–68, two mica reference samples, Biotite Mica-Fe and Phlogopite Mica-Mg, were made available to several geochemical laboratories. The analytical data reported during the past ten years by 142 geoanalysts belonging to 74 international laboratories are presented and assessed for deriving preferred values. Reaomrmended or proposed values are assigned for major, minor and several trace elements. The biotite Mica-Fe is better characterized for its chemical composition than the Phlogopite Mica-Mg. Both the samples are also proposed as geochronological standards. Because very few mica reference samples have been processed in large quantities, the international geochemiaal community is invited to contribute further useful data.     

The Variscan collage and orogeny (480–290 Ma) and the tectonic definition of the Armorica microplate: a review

The Variscan belt of western Europe is part of a large Palaeozoic mountain system, 1000 km broad and 8000 km long, which extended from the Caucasus to the Appalachian and Ouachita mountains of northern America at the end of the Carboniferous. This system, built between 480 and 250 Ma, resulted from the diachronic collision of two continents: Laurentia–Baltica to the NW and Gondwana to the SE. Between these two continents, small, intermediate continental plates separated by oceanic sutures mainly have been defined (based on palaeomagnetism) as Avalonia and Armorica. They are generally assumed to have been detached from Gondwana during the early Ordovician and docked to Laurentia and Baltica before the Carboniferous collision between Gondwana and Laurentia–Baltica. Palaeomagnetic and palaeobiostratigraphic methods allow two main oceanic basins to be distinguished: the Iapetus ocean between Avalonia and Laurentia and between Laurentia and Baltica, with a lateral branch (Tornquist ocean) between Avalonia and Baltica, and the Rheic ocean between Avalonia and the so‐called Armorica microplate. Closure of the Iapetus ocean led to the Caledonian orogeny: a belt resulting from collision between Laurentia and Baltica, and from softer collisions between Avalonia and Laurentia and between Avalonia and Baltica. Closure of the Rheic ocean led to the Variscan orogeny by collision of Avalonia plus Armorica with Gondwana. A tectonic approach allows this scenario to be further refined. Another important oceanic suture is defined: the Galicia–Southern Brittany suture, running through France and Iberia and separating the Armorica microplate into North Armorica and South Armorica. Its closure by northward (or/and westward?) oceanic and then continental subduction led to early Variscan (430–370 Ma) tectonism and metamorphism in the internal parts of the Variscan belt. As no Palaeozoic suture can be detected south of South Armorica, this latter microplate should be considered as part of Gondwana since early Palaeozoic times and during its Palaeozoic north‐westward drift. Thus, the name Armorica should be restricted to the microplate included between the Rheic and the Galicia–Southern Brittany sutures.