We originally featured this project in the 1-19-2018 Scout Report, and it continues to be an excellent resource for those curious about the history of geologic mapping.
William Smith (1769-1839) was a land surveyor, mineral prospector, and geologist best known for creating the geological map of England and Wales in 1815. In addition, Smith completed a number of geological maps of individual English counties between 1819 and 1824. On this website, visitors can explore Smith's maps, which have been digitized courtesy of the National Museum of Wales, Stanford University, the University of Nottingham, and the Oxford University Museum of National Geography. Visitors can explore Smith's maps via the maps tab, alongside other historical and geological maps. These are organized on an interactive map of the United Kingdom. In addition, this website contains a biographical essay about Smith, along with an explanation of stratigraphy: "a part of geology concerned primarily with layering in sedimentary rocks." As the team behind this site notes, Smith used his knowledge of stratigraphy (although he never used the word) to create his impressive maps.
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