Jules-Auguste Gosselet (19 April 1832 – 20 March 1916) 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, ...

born in

Cambrai Cambrai (, ; ; ), formerly Cambray and historically in English Camerick or Camericke, is a city in the Nord department and in the Hauts-de-France region of France on the Scheldt river, which is known locally as the Escaut river. A sub-pref ...

, France.Prix Gosselet - Société géologique de France
(biography) Following unsuccessful studies of

pharmacy Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medication, medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it ...

, and a stint as a

mathematics Mathematics is a field of study that discovers and organizes methods, Mathematical theory, theories and theorems that are developed and Mathematical proof, proved for the needs of empirical sciences and mathematics itself. There are many ar ...

teacher at the Lycée du Quesnoy, he pursued a career in

natural history Natural history is a domain of inquiry involving organisms, including animals, fungi, and plants, in their natural environment, leaning more towards observational than experimental methods of study. A person who studies natural history is cal ...

. In 1853 he became a preparateur of

geology Geology (). is a branch of natural science concerned with the Earth and other astronomical objects, the rocks of which they are composed, and the processes by which they change over time. Modern geology significantly overlaps all other Earth ...

at the Sorbonne, later obtaining his doctorate with a thesis titled ''Mémoire sur les terrains primaires de la Belgique, des environs d'Avesnes et du Boulonnais'' (1860). He later taught high school

physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...

and

chemistry Chemistry is the scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a physical science within the natural sciences that studies the chemical elements that make up matter and chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules a ...

Bordeaux Bordeaux ( ; ; Gascon language, Gascon ; ) is a city on the river Garonne in the Gironde Departments of France, department, southwestern France. A port city, it is the capital of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, as well as the Prefectures in F ...

, afterwards serving as an instructor of natural history at the Faculty of

Poitiers Poitiers is a city on the river Clain in west-central France. It is a commune in France, commune, the capital of the Vienne (department), Vienne department and the historical center of Poitou, Poitou Province. In 2021, it had a population of 9 ...

. In 1864 he was appointed to the chair of geology at the recently established Faculty of

Lille Lille (, ; ; ; ; ) is a city in the northern part of France, within French Flanders. Positioned along the Deûle river, near France's border with Belgium, it is the capital of the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, the Prefectures in F ...

. In 1913 he became a non-resident member of the Academy of Sciences. Gosselet is remembered for his geological studies of northern France, as demonstrated by the title of one of his better known works: '' Esquisse géologique du Nord de la France et des contrées voisines'' (Geological sketches of Nord and neighboring regions), (1880). Other significant writings include a geological treatise on the

Ardennes The Ardennes ( ; ; ; ; ), also known as the Ardennes Forest or Forest of Ardennes, is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills and ridges primarily in Belgium and Luxembourg, extending into Germany and France. Geological ...

, ''L'Ardenne'' (1888), and

hydrogeological Hydrogeology (''hydro-'' meaning water, and ''-geology'' meaning the study of the Earth) is the area of geology that deals with the distribution and movement of groundwater in the soil and rocks of the Earth's crust (commonly in aqui ...

research on the

aquifers An aquifer is an underground layer of water-bearing material, consisting of permeability (Earth sciences), permeable or fractured rock, or of unconsolidated materials (gravel, sand, or silt). Aquifers vary greatly in their characteristics. The s ...

of Nord, ''Leçons sur les nappes aquifères du Nord'' (1887). Also, he is credited with providing a thorough description of the geological beds in the

limestone Limestone is a type of carbonate rock, carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material Lime (material), lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different Polymorphism (materials science) ...

Étrœungt Étrœungt () is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord Departments of France, department in northern France. Geography The river Helpe Mineure (one of Sambre's affluents) runs through the village. The river is subj ...

(''schistes et calcaire d’Etroeungt''). In the field of

paleontology Paleontology, also spelled as palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure ge ...

, he performed pioneer "zoometric" research of a species of

brachiopod Brachiopods (), phylum (biology), phylum Brachiopoda, are a phylum of animals that have hard "valves" (shells) on the upper and lower surfaces, unlike the left and right arrangement in bivalve molluscs. Brachiopod valves are hinged at the rear e ...

known as '' Spirifer verneuilli'' (''Etudes sur les variations du Spirifer Verneuilli''). Since 1910, the ''Prix Gosselet'' is awarded every four years for accomplishments made in the field of applied geology. The mineral gosseletite, a phase of manganian

andalusite Andalusite is an aluminium nesosilicate mineral with the chemical formula Al2SiO5. This mineral was called andalousite by Delamétherie, who thought it came from Andalusia, Spain. It soon became clear that it was a locality error, and that the sp ...

, is named after him.The Type Mineralogy of Belgium
Annales de le Societe Geologique Belgiquie. February, 1994. Retrieved December 23, 2011.

References

External links

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(bibliography) {{DEFAULTSORT:Gosselet, Jules French geologists People from Cambrai 1832 births 1916 deaths Academic staff of the University of Lille Nord de France Academic staff of the University of Poitiers Members of the French Academy of Sciences ~