The Age of the Earth and other Geological Studies.
London. T Fisher Unwin. 1905. 8vo., First Edition, xvi.328,[4]p., (book ads), frontis & 98 plate illustrations, complete with half title, printed on fine photo glazed paper, index, in the original straight ribbed dark blue cloth, gilt spine and cover titles, top edge gilt, a fine bright copy. Item #43738
… After graduating Sollas spent six years as a University Extension Lecturer, publishing a syllabus of lectures in 1876 on geology and biology, and in 1879 became lecturer in Geology and Zoology at University College, Bristol. In 1880 he was made Professor of Geology. In 1883 Sollas left Bristol to take up a position as Professor of Geology at Trinity College Dublin, where he remained until he was made Professor of Geology at the University of Oxford in 1897. At Oxford his main contribution was significantly expanding the Geology department, appointing new demonstrators and lecturers and employing his own daughters as unpaid research assistants. At the same time he did research in a variety of fields and was described as "one of the last true geological polymaths".
Professor Sollas lead the 1896 Funafuti Coral Reef Boring Expedition of the Royal Society, which was an expedition to Funafuti in the Ellice Islands (now known as Tuvalu) conducted by the Royal Society of London for the purpose of investigating the formation of coral reefs and the question as to whether traces of shallow water organisms could be found at depth in the coral of Pacific atolls. This investigation followed the work on the structure and distribution of coral reefs conducted by Charles Darwin in the Pacific. Drilling occurred in 1896, 1897 and 1911. The expedition conducted drilling on the atoll to take borings which it was hoped would settle the question of the formation of coral atolls. There were defects in the boring machinery and the bore penetrated only slightly more than 100 feet (approx. 31 m). In addition to reports of results of the expedition, Prof. Sollas also published The Legendary History of Funafuti.
In his later years Sollas became increasingly eccentric, and left much of the running of the Department to his Demonstrator, J.A. Douglas while he concentrated on research. … (Wiki).
Price: $150.00