Liu, Xiaoyu;
(2024)
Introducing Geophysics at the British
Geological Survey, 1920s-1950s.
Doctoral thesis (Ph.D), UCL (University College London).
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Abstract
This dissertation investigates several key projects in the history of the British Geological Survey between the 1920s and 1950s that marked the introduction of geophysical techniques in its surveying and mapping work. Historians have indicated a general agreement that, in the early twentieth century, the importance of physics and physical methods transformed many other disciplines, including geology. Illustrative and plausible accounts of the transformation, however, are scarce in the literature about history of geology. This dissertation responds to the scarcity and examines the general agreement by asking: what the transformation was like if geology was infused with physics, what could have driven or obstructed it, and how could it have been embedded in an existing context – in the case of the British Geological Survey, its field work. The British Geological Survey provides a good case study because it represents a traditional imagination of geological work in the field, and thus any emerging sign of geophysics would be noticeable. This dissertation tracks the Geological Survey’s introduction of geophysics by highlighting its first purchase of geophysical apparatus in 1920s, its wartime projects, its post-war expansion of staff and agenda, and its success in airborne magnetic surveys in 1950s. Most sources that support this dissertation come from the government, especially the Geological Survey Board, because these papers clearly outline relevant projects and their rationale, and because they were accessible in a rather reliable time span against lockdowns. This dissertation shows that, for the British Geological Survey, the introduction of geophysics was not only an addition to existing methodology, but also a sign of the survey being ready to explore beyond practical functions. It allowed an increased variety of topics that hallmarked a transition to a geoscience research institution.
| Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Qualification: | Ph.D |
| Title: | Introducing Geophysics at the British Geological Survey, 1920s-1950s |
| Open access status: | An open access version is available from UCL Discovery |
| Language: | English |
| Additional information: | Copyright © The Author 2024. Original content in this thesis is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0) Licence (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/). Any third-party copyright material present remains the property of its respective owner(s) and is licensed under its existing terms. Access may initially be restricted at the author’s request. |
| UCL classification: | UCL UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Science and Technology Studies |
| URI: | https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10197661 |
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