The Edinburgh Geological Society (EGS) was founded in 1834 in

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian on the southern shore of t ...

, Scotland, with the aim of stimulating public interest in

geology Geology () is a branch of natural science concerned with Earth and other astronomical objects, the features or rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Ea ...

and the advancement of geological knowledge. It was a time of debate and controversy surrounding the emerging science of geology and Edinburgh was one of the centres of this debate, which is why the Society is among the oldest of the Scottish scientific societies. Throughout its 170-year history, the Society has seen major changes in geological thinking, from Darwin's theories of

evolution Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...

to the modern ideas on

plate tectonics Plate tectonics (from the la, label=Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of large ...

. The Society still seeks to stimulate public interest and offers a range of facilities to members including lectures, excursions, publications and the maintenance of a geological library.

History

The Society was founded in 1834 by eleven students from the department of Geology and Mineralogy of Queen's College, Edinburgh. They met in Robertson's Tavern, Milne's Close, Edinburgh and resolved to start a geological society 'for discussion and mutual instruction'. At their first scientific meeting, they argued about the

volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

origin of

Arthur's Seat Arthur's Seat ( gd, Suidhe Artair, ) is an ancient volcano which is the main peak of the group of hills in Edinburgh, Scotland, which form most of Holyrood Park, described by Robert Louis Stevenson as "a hill for magnitude, a mountain in virtu ...

in the heart of Edinburgh. They were all students of Alexander Rose and from then on they met in his house in Drummond Street. They elected John Castle as their first President but a few months later, Rose was elected President and remained in that post for 11 years.

Notable Presidents of the Society

* 1834–35: John Castle — student: first President * 1835–46: Alexander Rose — lecturer at Queen's College, Edinburgh: 'father of the Society' * 1874–89:

David Milne-Home David Milne-Home of Milne Graden FRSE FGS PGSE LLD (1805–1890) was a Scottish advocate, geologist and meteorologist. He was the founder of the Scottish Meteorological Society in 1855, and served as its chairman. From 1874 to 1889 he served as ...

— Advocate, geologist and meteorologist: longest tenure as President * 1908–10: Charles Clough — Geological Survey field geologist * 1917-18:

Thomas John Jehu Thomas John Jehu (19 February 1871 – 18 July 1943) was a British physician and geologist. The Jehu-Campbell Fossil Collection at the University of Edinburgh was donated by Jehu in combination with Robert Campbell and is now the main component ...

— Regius Professor of Geology at the University of Edinburgh

Activities

Lectures

From October to March, a varied programme of illustrated lectures is presented. Each year, a celebrity lecture is given by a geologist of international repute, who is invited jointly by the Society and the

Geological Society of Glasgow The Geological Society of Glasgow is a scientific society devoted to the study of geology in Scotland. The society contributed to the understanding of Scotland's glacial history, and the relationship between the Earth's rotation and climate ch ...

. There is an annual Members' Night, where members can give accounts of their own geological interests, specimens or travels.

Excursions

From April to October the Society organises a number of excursions to sites of geological interest. Each trip is led by someone with a special knowledge of the locality.

Awards

The Society annually awards the

Clough Clough ( ; ) is a village and townland in County Down, Northern Ireland. It sits about 3 miles from Dundrum, County Down, Dundrum on the A2 road (Northern Ireland), A2 between Newcastle, County Down, Newcastle and Belfast. The A2 road (Northern ...

Medal to a scientist who has either contributed to the understanding of geology in Scotland and the north of England, or a geologist from that area who has made a significant contribution to geology internationally.

External links

Edinburgh Geological Society website
{{Authority control Geological Society Scientific organizations established in 1834 Geology societies Learned societies of Scotland 1834 establishments in Scotland Science and technology in Edinburgh