Abstract Some significant geological sites are inaccessible. Among the most inaccessible sites are the hydrothermal vents and their associated biological communities located deep in the ocean. These prime geoheritage sites, hosting what may be the most primordial life on Earth, are vulnerable to mineral and fishing exploitation. Many lie in international waters, protected only by non-binding agreements with no clearly defined means of enforcement. The discovery of these vents in 1977 fundamentally altered scientists’ view of basic Earth processes and the extreme conditions under which life can exist. The discovery of the vents was a group effort and required technological accomplishments not available to previous generations of researchers. Often overlooked in the credits for this discovery was the persistence and determination of Kathleen Crane, a graduate student at Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Many women of her era faced significant challenges as they attempted to break into an often-unwelcoming field, marine geology. The challenges were not unique to geology; women were not welcomed in many other disciplines, both scientific and non-scientific. In spite of the obstacles, few people have made as remarkable a geoscience discovery as Dr Crane.

Abstract Archibald Geikie’s (1835–1924) field research led to better understanding of geological relationships and, ultimately, Earth processes. We consider three pieces of research in Scotland, from his early work on Skye through to the execution and impact of his 1860 expedition to the NW Highlands with Murchison, returning to Skye to consider arguments with Judd on igneous relationships. We describe the field locations and place modern interpretations in their historical context. We discuss how methods and approaches for building interpretations in the field were modified and improved through debates. Reliance on a few ‘critical outcrops’ served to anchor interpretation at the expense of understanding more complex exposures. Similar bias appears to have arisen from using simple exploratory transects which were only mitigated by proper mapping approaches. Significant misunderstandings between protagonists appear to have arisen through the reliance of text description rather than diagrammatic illustrations. The vitriolic nature of debate seems to have anchored misinterpretations, obscured interpretational uncertainty and promoted false-reasoning by inhibiting inclusive scientific engagement.

Abstract During the decade commencing in the mid-1850s there was a paradigm shift in Britain from the hypothesis of glacial submergence in association with sediment-laden icebergs to one of terrestrial glaciation as the explanation of lowland ‘Drift’ terrain. During this period, as a rising junior Geological Survey of Great Britain geologist, Archibald Geikie was in the vanguard of this crusade. His field mapping of the drift-covered central valley area of Scotland identified sediments and bedrock surfaces which he could not adequately explain by a submergence mechanism. His Survey line manager was ‘Local Director’ A. C. Ramsay (also spelt Ramsey), the leading British glacial geologist of his time. Ramsay supported the new hypothesis, but it was opposed by Sir Roderick Murchison the Survey Director. Eventually, in 1865, Geikie gained first-hand experience of current glacial processes in Arctic Norway during an expedition which he organized and led. His companions were Survey colleagues, his brother James Geikie and William Whitaker. They jointly concluded that land-ice glaciation held the key to interpreting the ‘Drift’. All three were to gain prominence in British geology but only James became an internationally recognized ice-age geologist.

Abstract The study of the Earth’s origin, its composition, the processes that changed and shaped it over time and the fossils preserved in rocks, have occupied enquiring minds from ancient times. The contributions in this volume trace the history of ideas and the research of scholars in a wide range of geological disciplines that have paved the way to our present-day understanding and knowledge of the physical nature of our planet and the diversity of life that inhabited it. To mark the 50 th anniversary of the founding of the International Commission on the History of Geology, the book features contributions that give insights into its establishment and progress. In other sections authors reflect on the value of studying the history of the geosciences and provide accounts of early investigations in fields as diverse as tectonics, volcanology, geomorphology, vertebrate palaeontology and petroleum geology. Other papers discuss the establishment of geological surveys, the contribution of women to geology and biographical sketches of noted scholars in various fields of geoscience.