Student Weekly Posts

Posted on

Emma Reed, Blog Post 2: William Smith (1769-1839)

William Smith was born into a time when society was guided by faith. Copies of the Bible cite the creation of the earth to 4004 BC when discussing the Book of Genesis. This forced the understanding of history and the earth’s formation at this time to be governed by this way of thought as it had to fit this mold. Winchester goes on to explain how scholars at this time understood the creation of the world in accordance with this theory. However, when Smith was born, the acceptance of this notion was beginning to change. And unbenounced to him, he would play a large role in this.

Smith would go on to make one of the most descriptive geological maps of his time. As seen below, his map makes an argument about how the United Kingdom’s geological layers formed. His maps were the cause of his profession as a surveyor, in which he identified different rock strata. He would come to differentiate between the different rock layers based on their variations in fossils, noting even the smallest of differences. In mapping Scotland, Wales, and England, Smith utilized different colors in order to mark the differences between the different ages of rocks.

Because of his discovery, future historians and geologist were able to make more accurate interpretations of the earths history and geology. Through his mapping, Smith realized that rock layers occurred in a structure of predictability as he mapped the different coal mines around the UK. Because of this discovery, an economic boom was seen across the United Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution. What Smith did not intend for however was the scientific impacts this research would have. The ability to understand and predict the succession of rock formations allowed the advancement of the earth’s history and geology

When comparing Smith’s 1815 map to his 1828 map, much of it appears to be similar as they follow the same coloring. However, there were some changes made. His 1828 map includes details that are clearer and depicts towns and roads in a way that allow them to be seen as less cramped. The 1828 map also has additions that were not seen in the 1815 map such as Districts of Coal. The detailing of the 1828 map shows how it was more practical than the 1815 version.

Scott, Michon. “William Smith (1769-1839).” NASA, NASA, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/WilliamSmith. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024. 

Smith Map, www.strata-smith.com/map/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024. 

Winchester, Simon. Simon Winchester – Stepping into the Map, steppingintothemap.com/mappinghistory/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/S-Simon-Winchester-The-Map-that-Changed-the-World-11-26-121-162.-1.pdf. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024. 

Posted on

Blog Post 2: William Smith

William Smith was a young surveyor and canal engineer who possessed an extensive understanding of England’s rock layers, or strata. He and his two friends were able to use their background knowledge of Earth’s geological systems and rock layers to determine that rocks formed various layers across England and that if they paid close enough attention they could notice them forming in a pattern.

They also noticed strange impressions in layers that today’s geologists determined to be plant and sea mollusk fossils. This gave way to Smith’s idea that they formed in patterns and that he could connect rock layers to different fossils and age them accordingly. He called this idea the principle of faunal succession, or fossil succession. With this data he was able to make a map of the layers

Above is Smith’s map created in 1820, titled A New Geological Map of England and Wales with his home town of Bath, England right in the center of the map. Below this we can also see a rendition of his 1820 map and how the layers of strata appear to line up. Smith also provided a legend to further explain some of the layers and there coloring.

A simple thing that could have been nice to add to the maps would have been a better layout of the fossils found and fossil structure. While he did do an excellent job of the map of different rock strata, I was missing a clearer understanding of the fossils.

Posted on

Levi Laib Blog Post 2

William Smith’s geological map of England and its surrounding areas was one of the most detailed and descriptive geological maps of its time. It also helped produce the later principle known today as the Faunal Succession.

William Smith’s Geological Map makes the argument of how England’s geological layers formed. Because of William Smith’s discovery, scientists were able to better understand the history of Earth’s climate, geology, and biology. As such, his maps helped show they were ahead of their time. 

According to one of the readings, people believed that the earth was created around 4004 BC. [1] However, because of the Faunal Succession principle, it became known that the earth is much older than originally anticipated. It is now suggested that the Earth must be at least 543 million years old as such that is when hard-shelled animals can be traced back to. [2] Without Smith’s work and the production of his map, this later discovery may not have been learned. 

The reason behind the making of Smith’s map was that Smith was fascinated with geology and the mapping of rock strata. As such, this is what the focus of his maps was. 

As seen in Smith’s 1828 map, titled A New Geological Map of England and Whales with Inland Navigations Exhibiting The Districts of Coal and Other Sites of Mineral Tonnage. [3] This helps show that during Smith’s time, there was an emphasis on natural resources including coal. At the time of Smith, England was going through the Industrial Revolution. 

When the “Wells” map from the modern Geology section is overlayed, it shows where in England there is the presence of different natural resources. The options are coal bed methane, conventional oil and gas, gas storage, mine gas, and unknown. Something to note is that the presence of “dots” which represent which resource is there are found in certain strata which is consistent with Smith’s 1828 map. [4] This helps show that Smith’s Map was ahead of its time as it can still be used today.

Looking at a different map, known as the “Smith Style BGS Geology” Map under modern Geology is a more current updated version of Smith’s original map with some of the borders of the strata shifted slightly. [5].

[1] Winchester, Simon. The Map That Changed the World. Chivers Press, 2001. 

[2] Scott, Michon. “William Smith (1769-1839).” NASA, NASA, 8 May 2008, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/WilliamSmith/page1.php.

[3] “Smith 1828 Map” William Smith’s Maps – Interactive. UKOGL. Accessed January 29, 2024. http://www.strata-smith.com/map/.

[4] “Modern Geology: Wells.” William Smith’s Maps – Interactive. UKOGL. Accessed January 29, 2024. http://www.strata-smith.com/map/.

[5] “Modern Geology: Smith Style BGS Geology Map” William Smith’s Maps – Interactive. UKOGL. Accessed January 29, 2024. http://www.strata-smith.com/map/.

Posted on

Wyatt Greco Blog Post 2: Mapping Natural Resources

In his introduction to the life and works of William Smith (1769 -1839), Michon Scott offers a succinct summary of the surveyor’s contributions to science and mapping:

Michon Scott. “William Smith (1769-1839).” Earth Observatory. NASA. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/WilliamSmith.

Smith discovered and studied a distinct order to the natural world, in an era when science was just beginning to question established doctrines:

Simon Winchester. The Man that Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology. New York: HarperCollins, 2002. Page 23.

In this period of “hesitation” and nascent transformation, it is important to note that Smith’s mapping does not make a proposition about the age of the earth, about change over time. Faunal succession, as Michon Scott points out, allowed Smith to identify geological formations for the purpose of energy exploitation. Only later did the principle contribute to new theories about the age of earth and the development of species (Scott, “William Smith”). The groundbreaking scientific developments of Smith’s time, from ironworking to agriculture, provided a clear and practical service to the English people (Winchester, 17-21).

“Smith 1828 Map.” William Smith’s Maps – Interactive. UKOGL. Accessed January 29, 2024. http://www.strata-smith.com/map/.

As evidenced by the above heading, the purpose of Smith’s 1828 geological map was explicitly to assist his likely audience (of surveyors, miners, and businesspeople) in locating valuable minerals. Smith proposes that these natural resources exist, that they can be organized and identified in visual form. Compare Smith’s map to a modern representation of another important natural resource:

“Smith 1828 Map” and “Modern Geology: Wells.” William Smith’s Maps – Interactive. UKOGL. Accessed January 29, 2024. http://www.strata-smith.com/map/.

The above image depicts two maps superimposed onto one another. The faded background is Smith’s 1828 map, with colored sections signifying specific types of rock formations. The purple points are from a modern map identifying wells in the U.K. Both of these maps portray aspects of the natural world; indeed, both portray surface and/or subsurface observations. While these features can be mapped in them of themselves, the purpose of these two maps is to identify these features in the context of potential and/or ongoing human use. The modern map does not simply map groundwater, but wells to exploit that groundwater. Smith did not simply map geology, but he focused on the minerals which humans could exploit. Such a proposition fits well with Smith’s historical context, when science and human development went hand in hand.

Posted on

Madeline King, Blog Post 2: William Smith (1769 – 1839) – A Lasting Influence

William Smith (1769 – 1839) was an English surveyor and canal engineer who revolutionized the understanding of geology (Scott). Smith lived in a time of duel influences. English society at the time was conservative and religious (Winchester, 11). Many grew up with an understanding of the world governed by faith. This placed Earth as only a few thousand years old and confined definitions of fossils (and other evidence of the Earth being much older) to ones that fit this narrative, such as fossils being remains of current animals (Scott). However, the Enlightenment and its ideals of asking questions were also in full swing; as was the end stages of the First Industrial Revolution (Winchester, 17). The duel nature of English society at the time of Smith’s life served as the backdrop for his work in Cartography.

William Smith’s map (Scott) and its interactive counterpart (UKOGL) showing the different rock layers in regions of England, Wales, and Scotland.

Smith’s map, inspired by his work as a surveyor, identified different rock strata. Initially, Smith could not categorize certain strata but was eventually able to tell layers apart by the presence of fossils within them. Each layer had its own unique fossils. Smith mapped this discovery of England, Wales, and areas of Scotland, and used different colors to show where formations began and ended. His discovery of the difference in fossils lead to the scientific understanding of fossil succession.

John Cary’s map from Geographicus compared with its interactive counterpart (UKOGL) featuring turnpikes, cities, towns, and villages.

Smith’s map has helped geologists view and discover the world in a way that was drastically different than previous centuries. The “enlightenment” that Smith’s map brought to the world about geology highlights a major difference in the influence of Smith’s map to the other maps created around or before his time. This can be exemplified in another map present on the “William Smith’s Maps – Interactive” web page. This is the Cary Turnpike Roads (1796) map, which details major cities, towns, and villages along with the various roads that lead to them. Further research into this map shows that, unlike Smith’s map which poorly sold initially, Cary’s map was sold as a “folding map” and used by many as they traveled across this area of Europe (Geographicus). However, despite selling poorly, the influence of Smith’s map on the way the world is understood is far more extreme than that of Cary’s map. Smith’s map helped to foster a new understanding of geology and ultimately aided thinkers in conclusions about continental drift or evolution (Scott). While still useful, the Cary map did not yield scientific influence in this fashion.

Bibliography

Geographicus Rare Antique Maps. 1815 John Cary Folding Map of England and Wales.

Scott, Michon. “William Smith (1769-1839).” NASA, NASA, 8 May 2008, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/WilliamSmith/page1.php.

“William Smith Maps.” Smith Map, UKOGL, www.strata-smith.com/map/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.

Winchester, Simon. The Map That Changed the World. Chivers Press, 2001. 

Posted on

William Smith Map Blog Post 2 Michael Lau

William Smith’s thematic map of England’s geological strata from 1828 is color coded with a legend detailing the geological strata found in each region. This legend also details broadly details the minerals, rocks and soil that could be found in each region. In addition the map details the modes of mass transportation of these mineral resources by illustrating railways and canals. The map also details town and city names but lacks topographic detail, which is strange for a thematic map covering geography and logistics. 

William Smith is arguably one of the most influential cartographers of all time. Born in England, he advanced the science of geography, paleontology and cartography by mapping the rock strata across England. Living near the beginning of the industrial revolution, William Smith’s map of England and its strata helped find coal to feed the growing industry in the country. He confirmed the theory of Faunal Succession by studying the fossils found in each of the strata on the map. By confirming the theory of Faunal Succession, he struck a blow against the religious beliefs that were present at the time. 

Courtesy of the USGS

The map not only showcases the slow moving geological forces of the world, but also the advancement of technology by its comparison to modern maps made in his style. They include topological data as an evolution on what he confirmed as a cartographer. That the Earth is a slow-moving beast that can shape hills and mountains over millions of years. Topological data often correlates to the geological strata mapped by Smith, with certain geological lairs being eroded by the wind and the rain. 

As the forefront of modern geological surveying, Smith’s fascination with fossils had allowed him to discover the timelessness that was present in the earth itself, while also allowing us to showcase how our understanding of the earth has evolved from his time. 

Bibliography

Scott, Michon. “William Smith (1769-1839).” NASA, NASA, 8 May 2008, earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/WilliamSmith/page1.php.

“William Smith Maps.” Smith Map, UKOGL, www.strata-smith.com/map/. Accessed 29 Jan. 2024.

Winchester, Simon. The Map That Changed the World. Chivers Press, 2001. 

Posted on

Erin Buglewicz, Blog Post 2: Geological Map of Great Britain

In 1815, William Smith created the “first true geological map of anywhere in the world” (Winchester, xvi). In fact, Smith’s endeavor to create this map was representative of the era he lived in. During the latter part of the eighteenth century, individuals began to more frequently question the world around them, and this contributed to greater freethinking. (Winchester, 24). As a result, there were new advancements in science as well as an increase in communication and literacy. Smith’s map is one such example of this.

Smith’s 1815 map. From Strata-Smith.com.

In creating this map, Smith aimed to show different rock layers, or strata, in England. As shown by examples in the image below, the map’s key displays various colors that Smith employed to distinguish between the different strata. 

This map was a significant advancement in science, especially within the fields of geology and biology, because it countered the commonly held (but inaccurate) views about the nature of the earth that were influenced by religion. As Smith began to unravel the mysteries of the earth, he discovered new information that led to other developments, such as Darwin’s theory of evolution (Scott).

Compared to the 1815 version, Smith’s 1828 map appears similar due to the coloring but has some variations. To begin with, the map from 1828 includes detail more clearly. It includes the most relevant roads and towns in a way that appears less congested than the 1815 version. 

Smith’s 1828 map. From Strata-Smith.com.

Also, in the top right of the 1828 map, there is a label which signifies that the map shows coal districts.

At the time, the Industrial Revolution was still in full swing, and it “focused England’s attention on the compressed, hardened remains of ancient swamps – coal” (Scott). To harness this valuable resource and make it readily available, efficient transportation was essential, and England attempted to create canals for this purpose. William Smith worked as a surveyor for these canals, and this enabled him to map strata across the country (Scott). This enabled him to create such a detailed geological map of strata which was modified in 1828 to help coal prospectors identify what was underneath the surface of the earth and subsequently, where to dig. Thus, the 1828 version was more practical than Smith’s 1815 map, which was largely scientific, in the sense that it was used to promote industry.

References:

Scott, Michon. “William Smith (1769-1839).” NASA. https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/WilliamSmith.

Smith, William. A New Geological Map of England and Wales With the Inland Navigations Exhibiting the Districts of Coal and Other Sites of Mineral Tonnage. 1828. “William Smith’s Maps – Interactive.” http://www.strata-smith.com/map/#info.

Smith, William. Geology of England and Wales with Part of Scotland. 1815. “William Smith’s Maps – Interactive.” http://www.strata-smith.com/map/#info.

Winchester, Simon. The Map that Changed the World: William Smith and the Birth of Modern Geology. New York, NY: Perennial, 2002.

Posted on

Blog 2: William Smith

Simply put, William Smith revolutionized the modern worldview on geology. Smith’s maps of England and Wales detail the layers of rock beneath the rolling hills and beaches of the island kingdom, which have stood the test of time both as geologic and artistic wonders, were the benchmark for geologic dating and the principle of faunal succession.

Through Smith’s work as a surveyor, he found in his time around England’s coal mines that the layers of rock he worked in were trackable and predictable. The principle of faunal succession stemmed from the observation deeper layers of rock would hold differing fossils not only from the layers above them but other layers horizontal from them.

Simon Winchester, “The Map That Changed The World” Pg. 23

Smith’s findings were quickly employed in the coal mining industries around England and Wales and would determine where mines were placed and how coal, among other fossil fuels, could be transported.

The part about this map that amazes me is not only the attention to detail and design from an artistic viewpoint, but the accuracy of the mapping compared to today’s technologically enhanced interpretations of rock layers in the area.

The original map was made in 1828 with far less technology than what modern geologist have at their disposal today. And yet, comparing the 1828 map (top) with modern geologic mapping of the same area (bottom) shows the incredible accuracy of Smith’s map. On top of all of this, I took away a different purpose and appreciation for this map than just as a reference for coal and oil companies in the early 1800’s. The map’s attention to detail and artistry over what is said to be a “…more than eight feet by six…” map, signifies that this was one man’s love for a craft on parchment.

This map was made in an attempt to summarize William Smith’s ideas of the shifting layers of rock throughout the English and Welsh countryside, intended for the eyes of Will himself and any other geologist willing to indulge in his ideas.

Smith’s principle of faunal succession pushed the idea that the Earth held its own dating system that went back far further than previously thought. This principle and idea laid the groundwork for geological dating and today still stands as a testament to the hard work and passions of William Smith.

Posted on

Blog Post #2

William Smith (1769-1839) was one of the most important early geologists who created a detailed geographical map of the United Kingdom.

“The Map that Changed the World” is an excellent article that offers insight into the history of geology and its earliest theories for how the world was created. William Smith was born during the era know as the “enlightenment” a time when philosophical and scientific thought began to replace the “old” ways of thinking. However, when Smith became a geologist, some of the old theories remained in the field. Particularly, to the dating of the earth, which early guesses dated the age of the earth to over 4,000 years old.

Smith’s map is incredibly detailed and helped to dispel the myth that humans and earth were created at the same time. The resource “William Smith-Interactive map” helped to visualize the detail Smith included in his map of the UK. In the interest of keeping my post to the assigned limit, I will focus my map discussion on the “Geological Section from London to Snowdon.”

The geological map includes the correct height and altitudes of the hills, to the valleys found between the cities, and accurate measurements of the age of the geography found between London and Snowdon. Depicted in the map, the land around London is flat and open compared to the hilly countryside found outside of London. Which would explain why London has a lager population compared to Snowdon, which has a rugged and hilly countryside. interestingly the hills and geographic countryside near Snowdon is older compare to the formations found near London. They are also more developed which “could” indicate that the hills around Snowdon had more time to develop thus, their larger size compared to the hills found around London. I also like how the resource uses color to indicate the age and the different geographic features found on the map. It helps to visualize the age of each mountain, valley, and river found on the map and the geographic formations mentioned in the articles about William Smith.

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/WilliamSmith

Click to access snowdon_london.pdf

http://www.strata-smith.com/map/

Click to access S-Simon-Winchester-The-Map-that-Changed-the-World-11-26-121-162.-1.pdf

css.php