Britain is fortunate in possessing a remarkably varied geology within a relatively small area.
The rocks that make up our islands represent a long and complicated history of events. They encompass most of the major periods of geological time and extremes of climate from desert to glacier.
Our rocky heritage was the source of many raw materials vital to the Industrial Revolution and therefore to the nation's wealth and political power.
It is therefore not surprising, given this combination of natural treasures and the enquiring spirit of the times that, as modern sciences flourished, many important early pioneers were British Geoscientists.
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