GEOLOGY IN THE WAR AND AFTER

Abstract

DR. E. B. BAILEY, in a lecture to the Royal Philosophical Society of Glasgow, delivered on November 17, on “Geology in the War and After”, dealt in particular with the work of the Geological Survey of Great Britain, of which he is director. The main war aim has been to give useful advice on: (1) home mineral resources, so as to meet essential needs with economy of shipping and foreign currency ; (2) underground water, for new aerodromes, camps and factories ; (3) subterranean facilities, for storage and personnel. Coal is the main mineral asset of Great Britain. Two interesting current problems occupy a considerable share of the Geological Survey's time: first, the resurrection, with modern equipment, of coal outcrop working, and second, the correlation of coal seams. Correlation work has been intensified because confused nomenclature impedes progress that may be expected from the recent unification of ownership in the hands of the State. In its coal work, the Geological Survey co-operates closely with another branch of the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, namely, the Fuel Research Board, the concern of which is with the quality of the coal seams.