Women in geology
Women in geology concerns the history and contributions of women to the field of geology. There has been a long history of women in the field, but they have tended to be under-represented. In the era before the eighteenth century, science and geological science had not been as formalized as they would become later. Hence early geologists tended to be informal observers and collectors, whether they were male or female. Notable examples of this period include Hildegard of Bingen who wrote works concerning stones and Barbara Uthmann who supervised her husband's mining operations after his death. Mrs. Uthmann was also a relative of Georg Agricola. In addition to these names varied aristocratic women had scientific collections of rocks or minerals.[1]
In the nineteenth century a new professional class of geologists emerged that included women. In this period the British tended to have far more women of significance to geology.[2]
In 1977 the Association for Women Geoscientists was formed.[3]
Timeline of women in geology
[edit]- 1642: Martine Bertereau, first recorded woman mineralogist, was imprisoned in France on suspicion of witchcraft.[4]
- 1824: Emma Hart Willard published Ancient Geography as a supplement to Woodbridge's System of Universal Geography.[5]
- 1833: Mary Austin Holley remarked and published on the soils, water resources, minerals, and mountains of the Texas region.[6]
- 1841: Orra White Hitchcock, Sarah Hall, and Mrs. Brooks were among the first women to illustrate geological publications.[7]
- 1865: Elizabeth Carne was elected the first female Fellow of the Royal Geological Society of Cornwall.[8]
- 1866: Mrs. Myers, Kate Andrews, and Harriet Huntsman's work appeared in the Illinois, Ohio, and Kansas survey reports respectively.[7]
- 1889: Mary Emilie Holmes became the first female Fellow of the Geological Society of America.[9]
- 1893: Catherine Raisin became the first woman to receive the "Lyell Fund" award from the Geological Society of London. However, a man needed to accept the honor for her benefit, since the Geological Society of London did not permit women to go to its gatherings at the time.[10][11]
- 1893: Florence Bascom became the second woman to earn her Ph.D in geology in the United States, and the first woman to receive a Ph.D from Johns Hopkins University.[12][13] Geologists consider her to be the "first woman geologist in this country [America]."[14]
- 1896: Florence Bascom became the first woman to work for the United States Geological Survey.[15][16]
- 1901: Florence Bascom became the first female geologist to present a paper before the Geological Survey of Washington.[17]
- 1907: A decision was made by the Geological Society of London to admit women as Associates, under the condition they distinguished themselves as geological investigators or submitted their own original research.[18]
- 1909: Alice Wilson became the first female geologist hired by the Geological Survey of Canada.[19][20] She is widely credited as being the first Canadian woman geologist.[21]
- 1919: Women were first allowed to become Fellows of the Geological Society of London.[22][23] Margaret Crosfield became the first, due to alphabetical primacy, of the first eight women to be elected Fellows of the Geological Society of London, on 21 May 1919.[24]
- 1921: Ludmila Slavíková was made head of the Department of Mineralogy and Petrology at the National Museum in Prague.[25]
- 1924: Florence Bascom became the first woman elected to the Council of the Geological Society of America.[17]
- 1936: Inge Lehmann discovered that the Earth has a solid inner core distinct from its molten outer core.[26]
- 1938: Alice Wilson became the first woman appointed as Fellow to the Royal Society of Canada.[21]
- 1942: American geologist Marguerite Williams became the first African-American woman to receive a PhD in geology in the United States. She completed her doctorate, entitled A History of Erosion in the Anacostia Drainage Basin, at Catholic University.[27][28]
- 1943: Eileen Guppy was promoted to the rank of assistant geologist, therefore becoming the first female geology graduate appointed to the scientific staff of the British Geological Survey.[29]
- 1953: Alice Mary Weeks, and Mary E. Thompson of the United States Geological Survey, identified uranophane.[30]
- 1955: Moira Dunbar became the first female glaciologist to study sea ice from a Canadian icebreaker ship.[31][32][33]
- 1963: Elsa G. Vilmundardóttir completed her studies at Stockholm University and became the first female Icelandic geologist.[34]
- 1966: Eileen Guppy became the first female staff member of the British Geological Survey to be awarded an MBE.[35]
- 1967: Sue Arnold became the first female British Geological Survey person to go to sea on a research vessel.[29]
- 1969: Beris Cox became the first female paleontologist in the British Geological Survey.[29]
- 1971: Audrey Jackson became the first female field geologist in the British Geological Survey.[29]
- 1975: Female officers of the British Geological Survey no longer had to resign upon getting married.[29]
- 1977: The Association for Women Geoscientists was founded.[3]
- 1980: Geochemist Katsuko Saruhashi became the first woman elected to the Science Council of Japan.[36]
- 1982: Janet Watson became the first woman president of the Geological Society of London.[37]
- 1983: Geologist Sudipta Sengupta (and marine biologist Aditi Pant) became one of the first two Indian women to join an Antarctic expedition.[38]
- 1991: Doris Malkin Curtis became the first woman president of the Geological Society of America.[39]
- 1991: Indian geologist Sudipta Sengupta became the first woman scientist to receive the Shanti Swaroop Bhatnagar Award in the Earth Sciences category.[40][41]
- 1995: Karst in China: its Geomorphology and Environment by Marjorie Sweeting was published; it was the first comprehensive Western account of China's karst.[42][43]
- 1995: Jane Plant became the first female Deputy Director of the British Geological Survey.[29]
- 2010: Marcia McNutt became the first female director of the United States Geological Survey.[44]
- 2014: Maureen Raymo became the first woman to be awarded the Wollaston Medal, the highest award of the Geological Society of London.[45][46]
- 2016: Geophysicist Marcia McNutt became the first woman president of the American National Academy of Sciences.[47]
- 2019: Karen Hanghøj became the first female director of the British Geological Survey.[48]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Kölbl-Ebert, M. (September 2001). "On the origin of women geologists by means of social selection: German and British comparison". Episodes. 24 (3): 182–193. doi:10.18814/epiiugs/2001/v24i3/005. Retrieved 11 June 2015.
- ^ Creese, Mary R. S.; Creese, Thomas M. (5 January 2009). "British women who contributed to research in the geological sciences in the nineteenth century". The British Journal for the History of Science. 27 (1): 23. doi:10.1017/S0007087400031654.
- ^ a b "Iowa State University" (PDF). Retrieved 2018-08-08.
- ^ Rayner-Canham, Marelene F.; Rayner-Canham, Marelene; Rayner-Canham, Geoffrey (2001). Women in Chemistry: Their Changing Roles from Alchemical Times to the Mid-twentieth Century. Chemical Heritage Foundation. p. 7. ISBN 9780941901277.
- ^ Willard, Emma, 1787-1870. (1852). Ancient geography : as connected with chronology and preparatory to the study of ancient history. W.J. Hamersley. OCLC 8028952.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Holley, Mary Austin, 1784-1846. (2005). Texas : observations, historical, geographical and descriptive : in a series of letters, written during a visit to Austin's colony, with a view to a permanent settlement in that country, in the Autumn of 1831. Brown University Women Writers Project. OCLC 176859903.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ a b Women of science : righting the record. Kass-Simon, G. (Gabriele), Farnes, Patricia, 1931-1985., Nash, Deborah. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. 1990. ISBN 0253332648. OCLC 19130838.
{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link) - ^ Hardie-Budden, Melissa. "Elizabeth Catherine Thomas Carne: A 19th century Hypatia".
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Edwin Butt Eckel (1982). The Geological Society of America: Life History of a Learned Society. Geological Society of America. p. 36. ISBN 978-0-8137-1155-3.
- ^ Haines, Catherine (2001). International Women in Science: A Biographical Dictionary to 1950. ABC-CLIO. p. 257. ISBN 1576070905. Retrieved 17 August 2014.
- ^ Mary Creese, Thomas Creese (March 1994). "British women who contributed to research in the geological sciences in the nineteenth century". The British Journal for the History of Science. 27 (1): 23–54. doi:10.1017/S0007087400031654.
- ^ "Florence Bascom papers, 1883-1938". Dla.library.upenn.edu. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
- ^ Clary, R.M. "Great expectations: Florence Bascom (1842–1945) and the education of early US women geologists". Geological society of London Publications. Special Publications. Retrieved 10 October 2017.
- ^ Schneidermann, Jill (July 1997). "A Life of Firsts: Florence Bascom" (PDF). GSA Today. Geological Society of America.
- ^ "The Stone Lady, Florence Bascom (U.S. National Park Service)". Nps.gov. 1945-06-18. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
- ^ Schneidermann, Jill (July 1997). "A Life of Firsts: Florence Bascom" (PDF). GSA Today. Geological Society of America.
- ^ a b irishawg (2016-08-20). "Women in Geoscience Series – Irish Association for Women in Geosciences". Irishawg.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2018-07-28.
- ^ "Margaret Chorley Crosfield (1859-1952)". Exploring Surrey's Past. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
- ^ "Alice Wilson". science.ca. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
- ^ "66. Ottawa Geology (1946)". Science.gc.ca. 2017-03-03. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
- ^ a b James-Abra, Erin. "Alice Wilson". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ "Geological Society of London Celebrates the First Female Fellows - Scientific American Blog Network". Blogs.scientificamerican.com. 2019-03-19. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- ^ Burek, Cynthia V. (2009-08-21). "The first female Fellows and the status of women in the Geological Society of London | Geological Society, London, Special Publications". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 317 (1). Sp.lyellcollection.org: 373–407. doi:10.1144/SP317.21. S2CID 128719787. Retrieved 2019-03-27.
- ^ "The Geological Society of London - Margaret Crosfield, FGS (1859-1952): the first female Fellow". www.geolsoc.org.uk. Retrieved 2021-04-14.
- ^ "Slavikova, Ludmila (1890–1943) | Encyclopedia.com". www.encyclopedia.com. Retrieved 2023-04-18.
- ^ Edmond A. Mathez, ed. (2000). EARTH: INSIDE AND OUT. American Museum of Natural History. Archived from the original on 2008-04-30.
- ^ Williams, Marguerite. "A History of Erosion in the Anacostia Basin". World Cat. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
- ^ "Women's History Month – Marguerite Thomas Williams". University of the District of Columbia. Retrieved 2018-09-24.
- ^ a b c d e f Rod Bowie, Records Centre Manager, National Geological Records Centre, British Geological Survey, Keyworth (January 1995). "Freedom and Equality-Women in Geology". Geological Society, London, Special Publications. 97 (1). British Geological Survey, Natural Environment Research Council: 117–125. doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.1995.097.01.15. S2CID 129574405. Retrieved 2018-05-23.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^ Moore, James Gregory (1963). Geology of the Mount Pinchot Quadrangle, Southern Sierra Nevada, California. U.S. Government Printing Office.
- ^ Hulbe, Christina L. (2010). "Women in glaciology, a historical perspective" (PDF). Journal of Glaciology. 56 (200): 944–964. Bibcode:2010JGlac..56..944H. doi:10.3189/002214311796406202.
- ^ Thomas, Campbell (2000-01-12). "Moira Dunbar". The Guardian. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ "80th Anniversary: Northern Exposure - History - The Royal Canadian Geographical Society". www.rcgs.org. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ Jóhannesson, Guðni A. (2008). "Elsa Guðbjörg Vilmundardóttir". www.mbl.is (in Icelandic). Retrieved 2018-10-08.
- ^ Plant, J. A.; Hackett, D.; Taylor, B. J. (1994). "The role of women in the British Geological Survey". Geology Today. 10 (4): 151–156. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2451.1994.tb00893.x.
- ^ Hughes, Amani (2018-03-22). "Katsuko Saruhashi honoured by Google: Who is the geochemist celebrated in today's Doodle?". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
- ^ Ogilvie, M.B.; Harvey J.D. (2000). The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science:L-Z. Taylor & Francis. pp. 1350–1351. ISBN 978-0-415-92040-7. Retrieved 2010-02-13.
- ^ IANS (2013-12-22). "India's Antarctica station at par with world: Geologist Sudipta Sengupta (Interview)". Business Standard India. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
- ^ Margaret W. Rossiter (21 February 2012). Women Scientists in America: Forging a New World Since 1972. JHU Press. pp. 249–. ISBN 978-1-4214-0233-8.
- ^ "Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize: Sudipta Sengupta". ssbprize.gov.in. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
- ^ "Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Awardees | Women in Science | Initiatives | Indian Academy of Sciences". www.ias.ac.in. Retrieved 2018-10-07.
- ^ Kennedy, Barbara (18 January 1995). "OBITUARIES: Marjorie Sweeting". The Independent.
- ^ Karst in China - Its Geomorphology and Environment | Marjorie M. Sweeting. Springer Series in Physical Environment. Vol. 15. Springer. 1995. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-79520-6. ISBN 978-3-642-79522-0. Retrieved 2018-08-08.
- ^ "Marcia K McNutt".
- ^ "Climate Scientist Is First Woman to Win Geology's Storied Wollaston Medal". Lamont -Doherty Earth Observatory. March 4, 2014. Retrieved 16 February 2018.
- ^ "The Geological Society". Geolsoc.org.uk. 2016-08-24. Retrieved 2018-08-14.
- ^ "Science Editor-in-Chief Marcia McNutt Elected President of the National Academy of Sciences". AAAS - The World's Largest General Scientific Society. 2016-02-16. Retrieved 2018-08-26.
- ^ "The Geological Society of London – The Modern Geological Survey". www.geolsoc.org.uk. Archived from the original on 28 May 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2023.
- Burek, C. V.; Higgs, B., eds. (2007). The role of women in the history of geology. London: Geological Society. ISBN 9781862392274.