Cabinets of curiosities #3: The shoulders of giants

Standing on the shoulders of giants we can see further, so let's remember the naturalist on which shoulders modern research stands and visit the 30# installment of the Giants Shoulders Carnival or the Carnival of Evolution! - a lot to read and more to learn.

Early and modern Geologists tried to understand earth in both two dimensions - the visible landscape, three dimensions - the bedrock and even in four dimensions - time.
A common topographic map displays the feature of the planet in 2D, a beautiful seafloor map, like the 1977 World Ocean Floor Map gives the impression of a 3D landscape, and a geological map finally encompassing the fourth dimension, the deep time.
But geologists didn't map and collect only rocks from earth and fossils from the past, but were also fascinated by rocks falling from the sky!

Early reports of geological wonders often display beautiful artwork, an art that today has become rare. However collections of dead-trees documents today are available also for a silica-carbon compound powered by moving electrons: Historic texts in Geology: ePubs by Robert Cody.

And speaking of change - there is something new in Earth Science blogging, Earth Science Erratics will be hopefully be scattered in future with a lot of erratics and blog entries of enthusiastic field geologists, maybe adventures like experienced by "Rock" Mary Anning.

And finally, let´s also remember the modern research on climate change, the time has come, the Walrus said...

"Going to remote places and getting your hands dirty was a new way to understand the processes that shape the earth, and De Saussure gave it a name: Geology!"

Image from Mundus subterraneus by Athanasius Kircher, 1678.