 Title page forGeological Observations on South America (1846) | |
| Author | Charles Darwin |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Genre | Geology |
Publication date | 1846 |
| Media type | Book |
Geological Observations on South America is a book written by the EnglishnaturalistCharles Darwin. The book was published in 1846 and is based on his travels during thesecond voyage of HMSBeagle, commanded by captainRobert FitzRoy. HMSBeagle arrived in South America to map out the coastlines and islands of the region for theBritish Navy. On the journey, Darwin collected fossils and plants and recorded the continent's geological features.[1]
It is the third book in a series ofgeology books written by Darwin,[2] which also includesThe Structure and Distribution of Coral Reefs, published in 1842, andGeological Observations on the Volcanic Islands visited during the Voyage of H.M.S. Beagle, published in 1844. It took Darwin four years to write and complete the entire series,[3] from 1842 to 1846. According to his diaries,Geological Observations of South America was written between July 1844 to April 1845.[4]
The text contains eight chapters along with appendices on Darwin'sMesozoic andTertiary fossils.[5] It describes his travels through the regions of modern Chile, Brazil, and Argentina, including thePampas,Patagonia, and theAndes.[5] With this book Darwin became the first to describe and nameNavidad Formation,[6] the reference unit for the marineNeogene in Chile.[7] Darwin established relatives ages for rock units in the high Andes nearPortillo.Metamorphic rocks were older thanintruding redgranites found in the area. By establishing, with aid offossils, aCretaceous age for some strata in the high Andes Darwin set time constrains foruplift of the Andes.[8] He did further posited that the western part of the Andes (hinterland) rose before the eastern part, an idea later verified to be correct not only for the part of the Andes he visited but for orogenic mountains in general.[8]
Darwin, in a letter to the geologistCharles Lyell, wrote that the book was "dreadfully dull, yet much condensed."[4] He put a great deal of effort into writing the book, but sardonically commented that "geologists never read each other's works, and that the only object in writing a book is a proof of earnestness, and that you do not form your opinions without undergoing labour of some kind."[4]
In the book, Darwin voiced sceptical support for the "crater of elevation" theory. The theory proposed that volcanoes were not the product of lavas, but are pushed up from within. Darwin later rejected the theory when sufficient evidence was demonstrated by the geologist Charles Lyell to disprove it.[9]
Francis Darwin, abotanist and the son of Charles Darwin, wrote that the book was significant for the "evidence which it brought forward to prove the slow interrupted elevation of theSouth American continent during a recent geological period."[2] Darwin's geological work is not considered as notable as his work is biology, but nevertheless was important in advancing "the general reception of Lyell's teaching."[4]