“Origin of the Grand Outline Features of the Earth.” [Pp. 381–398 in:] The American Journal of Science and Arts, Second Series, Vol. III, No. 9—May, 1847.

James D. Dana on the Structure of the Earth, 1847

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Early if not first appearance of James D. Dana’s synthesis on the structural evolution of the Earth, a foundational paper in nineteenth-century geology. In “Origin of the Grand Outline Features of the Earth,” Dana advanced the theory that the planet’s surface features—mountain ranges, ocean basins, and continental outlines—resulted from global contraction during cooling. His analysis became the basis of contraction theory, a precursor to the eventual development of plate tectonics.

Dana, professor of natural history at Yale College and one of the preeminent American geologists, was editor of the American Journal of Science for nearly half a century. His contributions to mineralogy, zoology, and geology, including his authoritative System of Mineralogy and his reports on the U.S. Exploring Expedition (1838–1842), secured his reputation as a leading scientific figure of his time.

Very scarce in its original printed wrappers, with other important contributions including “On Free Electricity” by Robert Hare, “A few Remarks on the Silurian Classification” by Sir Roderick Murchison, “On a New Metal, Pelopium, contained in the Bavarian Tantalite” by Gustav Rose and Benjamin Silliman Jr.’s “Hydrate of Nickel, a New Mineral.”

Price: $250.00