Cambridge Library Collection - Earth Science
4 total works
John Tyndall (1820-93) was an influential Irish geologist who became fascinated by mountaineering after a scientific expedition to Switzerland in 1856. He joined the Alpine Club in 1858 and achieved the summit of the Matterhorn in 1868 - a feat which led to a peak on the Italian side of the massif being named after him. He also climbed Mont Blanc three times. A writer of scientific texts who was widely praised for the quality of his prose, Tyndall made clear that in this work, published in 1860, he had 'not attempted to mix Narrative and Science'. He divides his account into two parts: his Alpine adventures and observations, and the scientific explanations about the origins and structural aspects of glaciers. Both sections include explanatory illustrations. This book, a classic text of Alpine exploration, offers a unique account of Tyndall's mountaineering expeditions and the science that inspired them.
John Tyndall (1820-93) was a prominent physicist, particularly noted for his studies of thermal radiation and the atmosphere. He was a prolific writer and lecturer, who was able to bring experimental physics to a wide audience. While researching his 1860 work, The Glaciers of the Alps, he became a proficient climber, and this work, first published in 1871, combines climbing expeditions in Switzerland with comments on glaciation and geology. It was extremely popular, with a second edition in the same year, and German and American editions in 1872. He was one of a group of noted Alpinists of the period, making the first ascent of the Weisshorn in Switzerland and finally conquering the Matterhorn in 1868, three years after its first ascent. This account of Victorian climbing expeditions makes fascinating reading, and shows the length an experimental scientist was prepared to go in search of knowledge.
John Tyndall (1820–93) was an Irish physicist who became fascinated by mountaineering after a scientific expedition to Switzerland in 1856. He traversed the summit of the Matterhorn in 1868 and climbed Mount Blanc three times. Alongside this love of mountains was a scientific interest in glaciers and ice formations. Tyndall was also well-regarded for his ability to communicate with the public about science. Many of his books, such as this one, published in 1872 as part of the International Scientific Series, are aimed at the general reader. Tyndall uses this work to explain many aspects of water, beginning with cloud formation and rain before moving on to ice, snow and glaciers. He also discusses the principles behind phenomena ranging from tropical rains to glacial movement. Illustrated and organised into 493 different points under themed headings, this book gives clear explanations of the complexity of the earth's water system.
Illustrations of the Viscous Theory of Glacier Motion
by James David Forbes and John Tyndall
Published 1 May 2012
This book brings together works published between 1846 and 1859 by the Scot James D. Forbes (1809–68) and Irishman John Tyndall (1820–93), both of whom were experienced alpinists as well as glaciologists. However, their views on the motion of glaciers were disparate, and a scientific quarrel over primacy and credit for discoveries continued even after their respective deaths. These papers include Forbes' articles on experiments on the flow of plastic bodies and analogies between lava and glacier flows, and on the plasticity of glacier ice, as well as Tyndall's observations on the physical phenomena of various Alpine glaciers, including the famous 'Mer de Glace', and a piece on the structure and motion of glaciers, co-written with Thomas Huxley. Several works by and about all three scientists (including works on Alpine travel) have also been reissued in this series.