385 



GEOLOGY AT THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. 



J. LOMAS, F.G.S. 



Yorkshire presents so many interesting' problems in Glacial and 

 Post-g-lacial Geology, that it is not to be wondered at that so 

 many papers dealing with this phase of the earth's history were 

 forthcoming in the Geological section. 



The president, himself a- Yorkshireman, devoted his address 

 to a discussion of the inter-glacial problem, and, so far as 

 Britain is concerned, he pronounced it 'not proven.' Prof. 

 Kendall, following with a well-illustrated paper on ' The 

 geology of the district round York,' first gave a clear and 

 adequate account of the general structure of the county, and 

 then discoursed on the glacial features of the Vale of York, and 

 the wonderful series of glacier lakes and overflows he has 

 described from the Cleveland district and the hills behind 

 Scarborough. Yorkshire drift was again the theme in papers 

 by Messrs. Culpin and Grace on recent exposures of glacial 

 drift at Doncaster and Tickhill, by Mr. W. H. Crofts and Prof. 

 Kendall on the plain of marine denudation beneath the drift of 

 Holderness, by Mr. T. Sheppard on a Hornsea post-glacial 

 section, and a report on the Kirmington drift was presented by 

 Mr. J. W. Stather. 



Other papers dealing with general drift problems were 

 contributed by Messrs. Harmer, Oldham, and Cotsworth. 



The problems of the Palaeozoic Glaciations of Australia and 

 South Africa were dealt with by Prof. Gregory, and it rarely 

 happens that such a subject can be discussed by so many 

 authorities, who know these distant deposits, as were gathered 

 together at York. Prof. Edgeworth David spoke for Australia, 

 Messrs. R. D. Oldham and T. H. Holland for India, the 

 president and others for S. Africa. 



Yorkshire Stratigraphy was not specially dealt with, except 

 in so far as parts of the county were included in the numerous 

 papers dealing with the Carboniferous Limestone. Much excellent 

 work has been done in this formation during the last few years, 

 and at last it is claimed that a definite zonal succession can be 

 established. An interesting discussion took place on the origin 

 of the Trias. It was shown that from top to bottom the beds 

 show signs of being laid down under desert conditions, and 

 parallels were suggested between these deposits and those now 

 forming in S. Africa, Egypt, India, Australia, and other places. 



1906 November i. 



