Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface, by Reference to Causes Now in Operation, Volume 1 |
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ages ancient animals appear become beds called carried causes century changes climate coast cone considerable considered consisted continued course covered currents deep delta deposits depth direction distance district doctrine earth earthquakes effects elevation entirely equal eruption example existing extent extremely facts feet flood flowed force formation formed former fossil geological geologist globe gradual greater ground heat height hills hundred inhabitants island Italy lakes land latitudes lava length less living marine mass matter mean miles mineral mountains nature northern observations ocean once opinion organic origin perhaps period phenomena plain plants present probably produced progress quantity raised recent regard regions remains remarkable rise rivers rocks sand seen shells side sometimes species springs strata stream subterranean succession supposed surface temperature theory thousand tion valleys views volcanic whole
Popular passages
Page 37 - He knew the seat of paradise, Could tell in what degree it lies: And, as he was disposed, could prove it, Below the moon, or else above it.
Page 497 - Marvan, and Cintra, being some of the largest in Portugal, were impetuously shaken, as it were, from their very foundations; and some of them opened at their summits, which were split and rent in a wonderful manner, huge masses of them being thrown down into the subjacent valleys.
Page 14 - As time never fails, and the universe is eternal, neither the Tanais, nor the Nile, can have flowed for ever. The places where they rise were once dry, and there is a limit to their operations, but there is none to time. So also of all other rivers, they spring up and they perish, and the sea also continually deserts some lands and invades others. The same tracts, therefore, of the earth are not some always sea, and others always continents, but every thing changes in the course of time.
Page 75 - A great body of new data were required, and the Geological Society of London, founded in 1807, conduced greatly to the attainment of this desirable end. To multiply and record observations, and patiently to await the result at some future period, was the object proposed by them, and it was their favourite maxim that the time...
Page 68 - ... in the planetary motions, where geometry has carried the eye so far both into the future and the past, we discover no mark, either of the commencement or the termination of the present order.
Page 496 - ... city. In the course of about six minutes, sixty thousand persons perished. The sea first retired and laid the bar dry; it then rolled in, rising fifty feet above its ordinary level.
Page 294 - On the coast of Kincardineshire, an illustration was afforded at the close of the last century, of the effect of promontories in protecting a line of low shore. The village of Mathers, two miles south of Johnshaven, was built on an ancient shingle beach, protected by a projecting ledge of limestone rock. This was quarried for lime to such an extent that the sea broke through, and in 1795 carried away the whole village in one night, and penetrated 150 yards inland, where it has maintained its ground...
Page 170 - on the proofs of the low antiquity of our species, for it is not controverted by any experienced geologist; indeed, the real difficulty consists in tracing back the signs of man's existence on the earth to that comparatively modern period when species, now his contemporaries, began to predominate. If there be a difference of opinion respecting the occurrence in certain deposits of the remains of man and his works, it is always in reference to strata confessedly of...
Page 49 - I declare that I had no intention to contradict the text of Scripture ; that I believe most firmly all therein related about the creation, both as to order of time and matter of fact ; I abandon everything in my book respecting the formation of the earth, and, generally, all which may be contrary to the narration of Moses...
Page 118 - Isothermal lines, we find at New York the summer of Rome and the winter of Copenhagen ; at Quebec, the summer of Paris and the winter of St. Petersburgh. At Pekin, also, where the mean temperature of the year is that of the coasts of Brittany, the scorching heats of summer are greater than at Cairo, and the winters are as rigorous as at Upsal.
Bibliographic information
| Title | Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface, by Reference to Causes Now in Operation, Volume 1 Principles of Geology: Being an Attempt to Explain the Former Changes of the Earth's Surface, by Reference to Causes Now in Operation, Sir Charles Lyell |
| Author | Sir Charles Lyell |
| Edition | 2 |
| Publisher | J. Murray, 1832 |
| Original from | Harvard University |
| Digitized | 15 Oct 2007 |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |