This Volcanic Isle: The Violent Processes That Forged the British Landscape
This Volcanic Isle takes readers on a rich and detailed journey of Britain’s Cenozoic history. Throughout, Professor Robert Muir-Wood offers a deep and thorough analysis of the causes and outcomes of the diverse geological processes that have shaped Britain’s landscape and scenery since the end of the Mesozoic.
The thoroughness of the discussion and level of detail is truly impressive. The book begins with the little known but important Sticklepath strike-slip fault in southern England, followed by explanation of the Hebridean Igneous Province as a failed constructive plate margin and the early history of the North Atlantic Ocean. Readers are then taken on a journey through the footprint of Alpine and Pyrenean tectonics after the collision of Africa with Europe, and finally the diversity of landscapes sculpted by ice sheets during the last Ice Age.
A bonus to the main story are the numerous off-track diversions into other aspects of global tectonic and geological processes that underpin the British Cenozoic transformation, including insights from the ‘founding fathers’ of geology, such as Charles Lyell. Figures are also simply presented and nicely complement the discussion; the absence of colour illustrations and photographs does not detract from the quality and context of the tale told.
It is difficult to simply pigeonhole where the book fits, but I do not think this is an issue. This Volcanic Isle is a geological journey written by an informed and knowledgeable enthusiast. As such, any geologist – whether a keen amateur or professional practitioner – will be fascinated by the story Muir-Wood weaves. Readers should take time to soak in and reflect on the book’s rich content, especially the many non-intuitive links drawn and explanations given to how the landscapes and scenery of the British Isles have developed and evolved since the end of the Cretaceous. It is a fascinating read and different from any geology-based book I have read before, helping us to understand the various dynamic process that have shaped the British landscape we know so well today.
Review by Mike Bowman
DETAILS
BY: Robert Muir-Wood (2024) Oxford University Press, 368 pp. (hbk)
ISBN: 9780198871620
PRICE: £20 academic.oup.com
