Layel biography briefly

He was a first -born in a large family, consisting of three sons and seven daughters. Charles grew up in a rich family in enviable conditions in material contentment, in an atmosphere of science and literature. His father, a curious man and a large esthete, was familiar with many writers and scientists, was engaged in botanical, he translated Dante. Soon after the birth of Charles, his father rented an estate of Bartley Loj in New Forest, in Southern England, where he moved with the whole family.

In the fourth year of his life, Lyel learned to read, and at the eighth entered Dr. Davis's school in the city of Ringwood. School classes were promoted quite tolerably, although by no means brilliantly. In Ringwood, Laeel studied reading, writing and grammar, and in the ninth year he was transferred to the school of Dr. Radcliffe in Salisbury, fashionable at the time where the sons of local aunts were studied by Latin.

Having studied for two years at the Radcliffe school, Lyel was transferred to Dr. Balei school in Midgerst. This school was very different from the previous ones - it did not have such a family, home nature. The cruel customs of schoolchildren all the more oppressed Charles that at home he saw only affection and caring, the character was meek and peaceful and did not have a stupid fists.

What he had to experience at the Radcliffe Board school turned out to be a toy in comparison with the Spartan customs of the new school. Having parted with the school, Layel entered the University of Oxford. Having come to the university, Lyel did not throw at all in naturalists. He dreamed of a literary career, and for the sake of bread earnings he chose the advocacy, deciding to study the right in Oxford.

But little by little the instinctive love of nature begins to flood it more and more and, in the end, prevails over the artificially vaccinated love for classics, literature. This happens in addition to his consciousness, contrary to his efforts. He tries to focus his attention, his interests in Oxford science and with surprise, even with chagrin sees that this does not succeed.

In Oxford, natural science played a very subordinate role, however, it was not completely abandoned. Among other things, lectures on geology were read here, and, moreover, not by anyone, but by Bukland himself-the head of the English geologists of that time. Bupplant belonged to the old school of "catastrophists." In the history of the earth's crust, he distinguished between the two main periods before and after the flood.

There was nothing in common between them to the flood, after the flood, others acted. That was the past, and this is the present and it is strictly to distinguish between these concepts. Gradually, geology took a dominant place in his classes. He began to take whole travels with geological goal. So, in the year he visited the island of Staffa, where he examined the Fingalov cave, glorified among the aesthetes with Ossian songs, among geologists - wonderful basalt pillars, a very curious geological phenomenon.

The following year, he traveled with his father, mother and two sisters to France, Switzerland and Italy. Five or six years that followed the end of the course in Oxford, can be considered the true academic years of Lyel. There are some lucky ones who managed to go through such a good school. Unreasonable trips to England and the mainland made it possible to check and consolidate the information gleaned from books with their own supervision.

Lyel learned a lot from personal acquaintance with the most outstanding geologists of Europe. Finally, the inspection of collections and museums served as a good addition to the material gleaned in books, in the field and in conversations with scientists. In the year, the eye disease made him quit legal classes for a while and go with his father to Rome. In the year, Laeel took a trip to Vinchelsi-a terrain, very interesting in geological terms, since here he could observe the extensive space of land, relatively recently freed from under the sea.

In the year, he was elected secretary of the geological society, and by the same year his first completely independent geological studies relate. He took a tour of Soussex and the island of White, where he studied the relationship of some layers, which until then unclear. His observations - purely special, deprived of general significance - he informed the mantel, who published them later, in the "geology of the island of White." Layel in his youth.

Some time later, in one of the magazines, his article appeared, in which he sets out his credo, the main idea of ​​his further works. But Layel has not yet appreciated all the difficulties of the work that had been his work. He thought that his role would be mainly the role of the compiler. He decided to write a textbook of geology, an ordinary compilation textbook, a brief set of materials accumulated in science, of course, otherwise covered than that of previous researchers.

It turned out, however, that it is impossible to write compilation, but it is possible and should do something more. I had to not state the finished truths to the students, but to conduct a dialogue with equal to themselves. ” In the year, he took with his friend Murchison a long geological excursion to France, Italy and Sicily.The main goal of this expedition was the closest acquaintance with the precipitation of the tertile era.

According to the existing theory between the tertiary and modern era, there was a gap, a break. Lyel's previous excursions forced him to doubt the fairness of these conclusions; Now he decided to check his doubts, having studied tertiary precipitation throughout France to Sicily. His studies completely destroyed the previous views. Comparing tertiary fossils with modern ones, he concluded that they represent one inextricable whole tertiary precipitation, climate, the population quietly move into modern ones.

Nothing speaks in favor of enormous common disasters that break the chain of phenomena; On the contrary, everything indicates a slow continuous and homogeneous process of development. It is clear how huge these conclusions had for the theory of uniformism. Catastrophists lost their main support proof of the existence of a sharp break between the present and the past.

The first volume of the “main principles of geology” Lyel was released in the year, the second - in OM, the third - in OM. It is difficult to determine in a few words the meaning of this book. It does not fit into a short formula, is not expressed in vivid discoveries that could be counted on the fingers. His whole book as a whole represents the discovery. In Lyel’s book, the activity of modern nature forces first appeared in its real light.

He showed that, firstly, the work of these “weak” agents actually leads to colossal results, continuing for an indefinite time, and, secondly, that it really continues for an indefinite time, imperceptibly merging with the past. The first and second volumes of the “Basic principles” are devoted to the study of modern forces.

We list the most important categories of phenomena that are interpreted here. Layel proved that huge fluctuations in the climate can occur due to changes in the outline of the continents and seas, that such changes were really made during geological history and are consistent with coups in the climate, which is evidenced by the same story. The activity of water as a geological agent was first clarified by Lyel in its present volume and significance.

He established the concept of the destructive and creative work of rivers, sea currents, tides and castings; showed the enormous size of these two parallel and correlation processes. Studying the products of the activities of modern volcanoes and comparing them with ancient volcanic rocks, he showed that both have a substantially uniform character and indicate the same process - about local volcanic actions, committed with large breaks for long periods.

On the contrary, nowhere in the ancient or new educations there are signs of action that is superior in energy and speed modern phenomena. Finally, the question of the role of organic agents in the history of the earth's crust was no less fully and thoroughly studied. He debunked the previous opinion about the breaks in the history of the organic world, accompanied by the destruction and emergence of the entire Faun and Flor, proved for a tertiary era, which, with a more thorough study, we also discover the gradual development of development, in harmony with the gradual transformation of the inorganic environment.

Charles Layel Life Life Climate theory, the laws of the action of water and volcanic agents, the origin of volcanoes, a sketch of a more faithful theory of body formation, the role of organisms in the history of the earth's crust and the relationship between the development of the organic and inorganic world - these are the main points in Lyel. On this foundation, Lyel built a historical geology - an essay on the changes experienced by the earth's bark from ancient times to the present.

Published subsequently in the form of a separate essay, this essay represents the first sketch of historical geology in the form in the form as we study it today. Personally, he owns the study of the tertiary system in this area. This was the first detailed study and the unit of the huge department in the history of our planet scheme, established by Lyel Eocene, Miocene and Pliocene, has survived to this day with changes only in details.

Later, other researchers - Sadzhvik, Murchson, Mac Kullokh and others - they did for the most ancient systems, secondary and primary, the same that he did for a tertiary. Regardless of this, his study of the tertiary system had a huge philosophical significance, showing that the “modern order of things” stretches already, God knows how much time and led to the complete transformation of the earth's surface in relation to its structure, climate, flora and fauna.

Lyel's book was a huge success. The first and second volumes parted in two editions before the third came out, so that the third edition of the entire composition was already required in the year. In England, the views of Lyel spread the most quickly and recognized. For young, beginning scientists, his book was a real revelation. How the opinions of geologists have changed!I am proud that the first area where I made geological research, Santiago on the island of the Green Cape, convinced me of the endless superiority of Lyel's views compared to those that were defended until then with geologists known to me.

” By the forty years, the victory could be considered complete, and Layel became a “prophet in his country” a new generation of geologists saw in him its leader and mentor, while the theories of the old authors were finally handed over to the archive. In the year, the scientist married Mary Gorner, who had long been considered the bride Lyel - the daughter of a friend Lyel, the famous scientist Leonard Gorner.

Miss Gorner was well -read, knew foreign languages, engaged in geology and subsequently helped her husband in his research, determined for him fossils and so on. It was a calm, reasonable woman, the same balanced nature as Lyel himself; They condensed as well as possible and have lived for forty years the soul into the soul. The publication of the “Basic principles” was the most important event in Lyel's life.

Until then, a little -known geologist who is not quite well -fed, although the student of Buhmland “gives hopes”, he became at once at the head of science. True, the founding fathers were outraged by such a violation of subordination, but they could not help but see that they were dealing with the head of the school. In London, he was offered to give lectures of geology in the Royal College.

He agreed, - not quite willingly, however, since he was afraid that professorship would be an obstacle to independent research. Shortly after marriage, Laeel abandoned the professor to devote himself entirely to and exclusively independent research. With the lawyer, he had been promoted for a long time; Now the latest doubts about the career have disappeared.

His whole further life was dedicated to science. All of it took place in geological excursions and in the processing of data collected during excursions. Layel traveled a lot to Europe and America, the good third of his life passed “in the field”, as geologists are expressed. With the heyday of the new geology, the glory of its founder also widened, and with it there were awards, honors, differences from scientists and governments.

In the year, Lyel received from the London Royal Society - the oldest and most glorious of the scientists of England - a gold medal for the “main principles of geology”, and 24 years later it honored his highest award. In the year, he was granted the knights and from that moment it was no longer just Charles Lyel, but the Sir Charles Lyel; In the year he received the title of baronet.

It seems that he reacted to these titles rather indifferent; At least, in his letters it is mentioned only in passing and without any hobby, which, however, is felt when he speaks of his scientific meaning, which, apparently, was very, very flattering to him.