Kirjahaku

Originally published in 1941, this book presents a guide to the geology of the West Highlands and the Hebrides. Aimed at the general reader, it begins with a brief discussion of types of rock before moving through different regions discussing their geological characteristics. The text was written by the renowned British geologist Alfred Harker (1859–1939) and published posthumously. It reflects his extensive knowledge of western Scotland, gained through numerous studies and surveys carried out in the area. A glossary of geological terms, minerals and rocks is included. Illustrative figures are incorporated throughout. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the landscape of Scotland and the history of geology.

Alfred Harker (1859–1939) was a prominent petrologist who spent his career at St John's College, Cambridge, lecturing on and researching rock formations and related geological activity. He was elected a fellow of the Royal Society in 1902, and was president of the Geological Society from 1916 to 1918. He used his Cambridge lectures as the foundation for this book (first published in 1909), offering an introduction to the development of rocks and related volcanic activity. With more than one hundred diagrams of various aspects of geological formations, this work also provides a visual guide to the location and formation of igneous rocks. Over the course of the work, he covers the themes of vulcanicity, rock structure, crystallization, the role of magma and the principles of rock classification, giving a broad picture of the field of petrology around the beginning of the twentieth century.