The following survey of basic geological methodology is not founded on any comprehensive presentation of the subject because no such works seems to be in existence. The volume edited by Albritton (1963), with its high-standard contributions by seventeen experts, shows the diversity of topics that would have to be covered by such a review. Besides the relevant articles in this encyclopedia, the volume by Albritton should be consulted throughout, including the annotated bibliography on the philosophy of geology and its unique index to the bibliography. The latter presents the first list of terms inherent in geological and general scientific methodology.
This entry examines the basic patterns of scientific thinking from which the fabric of geological thought evolved and shows some of the logical connections between the threads of that fabric. It also draws attention to apparent gaps in the system of present-day geological thought and to aspects of geological methodology that are in need...
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Albritton, C. C., Jr., 1963, The Fabric of Geology. Reading, Mass.: Addison-Wesley Publishing Co.
Amstutz, G. C., 1959, Syngenese und Epigenese in Petrographie und Lagerstaettenlehre, Schweizer. Mineralog. u. Petrogr. Mitt. 39, 1–84 (English translation in Internat. Geology Rev., Feb.–March, 1961).
Amstutz, C. G., and A. J. Bernard, 1973, Ores in Sediments. Berlin: Springer Verlag.
Anfinson, O. P., 1963, Understanding the Physical Sciences. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.
Carnap, R., 1960, Symbolische Logik, 2nd ed., Vienna: Springer-Verlag.
Chamberlin, T. C., 1897, The method of multiple working hypotheses, Jour. Geology 5, 837–848; reprinted Jour. Geology 39, 155–165 (1931); reprinted Science 148,754(1965).
Fischer, W., 1961, Gesteins-und Lagerstaettenbildung im Wandel der wissenchaftlichen Anschauung. Stuttgart: E. Schweizerbart'sche Verlagsbuchhandlung.
Fourmarier, P., 1944, Principes de la Géologie, 2nd ed., 2 vols. Paris: Masson and Cie.
Hooykaas, R., 1963, The Principle of Uniformity in Geology, Biology and Theology, 2nd ed. Leiden: E. J. Brill.
Koch, L. E., 1949, Tetraktys. The system of the categories of natural science and its application to the geological sciences, Australian Jour. Sci. 11 (4) (Suppl.), 1–31.
Kraft, V., 1960, Erkenntnislehre. Vienna: Springer-Verlag.
Lyell, C., 1830, Principles of Geology. London: Murray, 511p.
Mill, J. S., 1925, A System of Logic. London: Longmans, Green.
Popper, K. R., 1962, The Logic of Discovery, 3rd ed. London: Hutchinson and Co.
Popper, K. R., 1963, Conjectures and Refutations. The Growth of Scientific Knowledge. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul.
Quine, W. V. O., 1951, Mathematical Logic. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press.
Read, H. H., 1952, The geologist as a historian, in Scientific Objective. London: Butterworths Scientific Publications, 52–67.
Stachowiak, H., 1965, Denken und Erkennen im kybernetischen Modell. Vienna and New York: Springer-Verlag.
Strahler, A. N., 1963, The Earth Sciences. New York: Harper & Row.
Whewell, W., 1837, History of the Inductive Sciences, 3 vols. London.
Whewell, W., 1840, Philosophy of the Inductive Sciences, 2 vols. London.
Cross-references
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1988 Van Nostrand Reinhold Company Inc.
About this entry
Cite this entry
Koch, L.E. (1988). Geological methodology . In: General Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30844-X_39
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/0-387-30844-X_39
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-0-442-22499-8
Online ISBN: 978-0-387-30844-9
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive