Milestones in Geology Reviews to celebrate 150 volumes of the

Journal of the Geological Society

G e o l o g i c a l Soc i e ty M e m o i r s Series Editor A. J. FLEET

, !j

Parliamentary-style meeting room of the Geological Society at Burlington House before 1975.

The meeting room after renovation.

Milestones in Geology

Reviews to celebrate 150 volumes of the

Journal of the Geological Society

EDITED BY

M. J. LE BAS University of Leicester, UK

Memoir No. 16 1995

Published by The Geological Society

London

THE GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY

The Society was founded in 1807 as the Geological Society of London and is the oldest geological society in the world. It received its Royal Charter in 1825 for the purpose of 'investigating the mineral structure of the Earth'. The Society is Britain's national society for geology with a membership of 7500 (1993). It has countrywide coverage and approximately 1000 members reside overseas. The Society is responsible for all aspects of the geological sciences including professional matters. The Society has its own publishing house, which produces the Society's international journals, books and maps, and which acts as the European distributor for publication of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the Geological Society of America.

Fellowship is open to those holding a recognized honours degree in geology or cognate subject and who have at least two years' relevant postgraduate experience, or who have not less than six years' relevant experience in geology or a cognate subject. A Fellow who has not less than five years' relevant postgraduate experience in the practice of geology may apply for validation and, subject to approval, may be able to use the designatory letters C Geol (Chartered Geologist).

Further information about the Society is available from the Membership Manager, The Geological Society, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1V 0JU, UK.

Published by the Geological Society from: The Geological Society Publishing House Unit 7 Brassmill Enterprise Centre Brassmill Lane Bath BA1 3JN UK (Orders: Tel 01225 445046

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First published 1995

The publisher makes no representation, express or implied, with regard to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and cannot accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omission that may be made.

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Foreword

LE BAS, M. J. Introduction

RUDWlCK, M. J. S. Historical origins of the Geological Society's Journal

WINDLEY, B. F. Uniformitarianism today: plate tectonics is the key to the past

HALL, R. P. & HUGHES, D. J. Early Precambrian crustal development: changing styles of mafic magmatism

ROGERS, G. & PANKHURST, R. J. Unravelling dates through the ages: geochronology of the Scotting metamorphic complexes

BLUCK, B . J . W . Q . Kennedy, the Great Glen Fault and strike-slip motion

BROWN, M. P - T - t evolution of orogenic belts and the causes of regional metamorphism

MCKERROW, W. S. The development of Early Palaeozoic global stratigraphy

FORTEY, R. A. Charles Lapworth and the biostratigraphic paradigm

RILEY, N. J. Dinantian (Lower Carboniferous) biostratigraphy and chronostratigraphy in the British Isles

CALLOMON, J. H. Time from fossils: S. S. Buckman and Jurassic high-resolution geochronology

SAVAGE, R. J. G. Vertebrate fissure faunas with special reference to Bristol Channel Mesozoic faunas

COCKS, L. R. M. Triassic pebbles, derived fossils and the Ordovician to Devonian palaeogeography of Europe

ALLEN, J. R. L. Sedimentary structures: Sorby and the last decade

SELLWOOD, B. W. Structure and origin of limestone

WALKER, G. P. L. Flood basalts versus central volcanoes and the British Tertiary Volcanic Province

WILSON, M. Magmatic differentiation

ATHERTON, M. P. Granite magmatism

RANKIN, A. H. Hydrothermal orefields and ore fluids

BAILEY, D. K. Carbonate magmas

Index

vii

1

5

11

25

37

57

67

83

93

105

127

153

165

175

185

195

205

221

237

249

265

Foreword

The Geological Society, which is the senior Earth science society in the World, was founded in 1807 for the purpose 'of investigating the mineral structure of the Earth'. In keeping with the place of science in society at the time, it soon received its Royal Charter (1825). The Society's role today is not so different in essence: as a learned society it is primarily concerned with the furtherance of scientific knowledge. This is achieved through debate and, of particular relevance here, through the publication of the results of scientific investigation, analysis and discussion of findings. The Society's principal medium for publication is the Journal. It first appeared in 1845 and has continued, without break, since that time. Hence we arrive at volume 150, and this book celebrates that event.

I am sure that readers of this book will not only learn much about how our science has progressed and where the frontiers lie, but will also find interesting the manner in which the Geological Society played the major role in this advance.

The Society has grown over the years both in its membership (now over 7000) and in the range of its activities, publications and responsibilities. To its role as the leading UK Earth science society, has been added that of representing professional geologists in the UK and, through the European Federation of Geologists, throughout Europe.

I am pleased of this opportunity to recommend this book, edited by the Journal's Chief Editor, Dr Mike Le Bas, to all Earth scientists. His introduction sets the scene.

Charles Curtis President 1992-1994