author
James Geikie
1839–1915
A key Scottish geologist of the late 19th century, he helped shape modern thinking about the Ice Age by arguing that colder eras were broken up by warmer interglacial periods. His work also made him an important early voice in Pleistocene geology and the study of how people lived through ancient climatic change.
2 Audiobooks
Geology
by James Geikie
About the author
James Geikie was a Scottish geologist born in Edinburgh on August 23, 1839, and he died there on March 1, 1915. He studied in Edinburgh, worked for the Geological Survey, and later became professor of geology at the University of Edinburgh, serving from 1882 to 1914.
He is best remembered for his work on glaciation and the Ice Age. Sources from the University of Edinburgh describe him as a leading British authority on Pleistocene geology, and credit him with developing the idea that glacial times were interrupted by milder interglacial periods. His research also helped support the view that humans lived in Europe during the glacial age.
Geikie was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1875, and his scientific reputation remained strong throughout his career. Although his older brother, Archibald Geikie, is often better known today, James Geikie earned distinction in his own right through influential geological writing and long service as a teacher and researcher.