Geological thinking and mapping in the Netherlands before and during Staring's lifetime

Abstract

This paper deals with geological thinking and mapping in The Netherlands before and during the life of W.C.H. Staring (1808-1877). During the last two centuries there have been two centres of geological activity, viz. Groningen and Haarlem. Some outstanding pre-staring geological achievements are mentioned. As typical items, which may give an idea of the geological thinking in The Netherlands in the past, special attention is paid to theories about the origin of peat, the provenance of erratic boulders, and the mapping of Quaternary The first geological map of the Netherlands (scale 1:200,000) was made by Staring, who is considered the father of Netherlands geology.