Albert Auguste Cochon de Lapparent (30 December 18395 May 1908) was a French

geologist A geologist is a scientist who studies the structure, composition, and History of Earth, history of Earth. Geologists incorporate techniques from physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics, and geography to perform research in the Field research, ...

Life

He was born at

Bourges Bourges ( ; ; ''Borges'' in Berrichon) is a commune in central France on the river Yèvre (Cher), Yèvre. It is the capital of the Departments of France, department of Cher (department), Cher, and also was the capital city of the former provin ...

. After studying at the

École polytechnique (, ; also known as Polytechnique or l'X ) is a ''grande école'' located in Palaiseau, France. It specializes in science and engineering and is a founding member of the Polytechnic Institute of Paris. The school was founded in 1794 by mat ...

from 1858 to 1860 he became ''ingénieur au corps des mines'', and took part in drawing up the

geological map A geological map or geologic map is a special-purpose map made to show various geological features. Rock (geology), Rock units or stratum, geologic strata are shown by color or symbols. Bed (geology), Bedding planes and structural features such ...

of France; and in 1875 he was appointed professor of geology and mineralogy at the Catholic Institute in Paris. In 1879 he prepared an important memoir for the geological survey of France on the

Pays de Bray The Pays de Bray (, literally ''Land of Bray'') is a small (about 750 km2) natural region of France situated to the north-east of Rouen, straddling the French departments of the Seine-Maritime and the Oise (historically divided among the Pr ...

, a subject on which he had already published several memoirs, and in 1880 he served as president of the

Société Géologique de France The Société géologique de France (SGF) is a French learned society founded on 17 March 1830. As of 2006, it counts 1,200 members. History At its creation, its statutes indicate is to "compete for the advancement of Earth Sciences and Planets, ...

. In 1881-1883 he published his ''Traité de géologie'', a well-regarded textbook of

stratigraphy Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has three related subfields: lithost ...

. His other works include ''Cours de minéralogie'' (1884), ''La formation des combustibles minéraux'' (1886), ''Le niveau de la mer et ses variations'' (1886), ''Les tremblements de terre'' (1887), ''La géologie en chemin de fer'' (1888), ''Précis de minéralogie'' (1888), ''Le siècle du fer'' (1890), ''Les anciens glaciers'' (1893), ''Leçons de géographie physique'' (1896), ''Notions générales sur l'écorce terrestre'' (1897), ''Le globe terrestre'' (1899), and ''Science et apologétique'' (1905). With Achille Delesse he was for many years editor of the '' Revue de géologie'' and contributed to the '' Extraits de géologie'', and he joined with

Alfred Potier Alfred Potier (11 May 1840 - 8 May 1905) was a French polymath who contributed to many theoretical and practical fields of science when this was rapidly expanding. His interests covered mainly mathematical physics, the nature of light and the eth ...

in the geological surveys undertaken in connection with the

Channel Tunnel The Channel Tunnel (), sometimes referred to by the Portmanteau, portmanteau Chunnel, is a undersea railway tunnel, opened in 1994, that connects Folkestone (Kent, England) with Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais, France) beneath the English Channel at ...

proposals. He died in Paris in 1908.

Notes

References

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Catholic Encyclopedia article
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lapparent, Albert de 1839 births 1908 deaths Scientists from Bourges École Polytechnique alumni Channel Tunnel French geologists Presidents of Société géologique de France Members of the French Academy of Sciences Members of the Ligue de la patrie française