The Geological Sublime
10 months ago
- #deep time
- #climate change
- #geology
- The article begins with a reflection on deep time and human history, inspired by Mircea Eliade's thoughts on humanity's potential future cessation of making history.
- A personal account of experiencing an earthquake in Santa Monica highlights the sudden and powerful impact of natural forces, contrasting human timescales with geological ones.
- The geological history of California's Transverse Ranges is detailed, emphasizing the vast timescales involved in their formation, spanning millions to billions of years.
- Charles Lyell and Charles Darwin's contributions to understanding deep time are discussed, including Lyell's geological principles and Darwin's application of these ideas to evolution.
- Darwin's observations of geological changes during his voyage on the HMS Beagle, including the uplift of land and fossilized marine life at high altitudes, illustrate the concept of deep time.
- The author's personal interest in butterflies and participation in annual counts reveals a decline in butterfly populations, linking contemporary ecological changes to broader geological and evolutionary timescales.
- The Melissa Arctic butterfly is presented as a living relic of the Ice Age, with its survival threatened by current climate change, illustrating the intersection of deep time and immediate ecological concerns.
- The article explores the challenges of comprehending deep time, comparing human timescales with geological ones, and the strategies used by Lyell and Darwin to conceptualize vast periods.
- Lyell's concept of the Great Year and his resistance to evolutionary theory are examined, highlighting his struggle to reconcile geological time with religious beliefs.
- Darwin's approach to deep time, including his use of infinitesimal changes over vast periods to explain evolution, is contrasted with Lyell's views.
- The article concludes with reflections on the awe-inspiring nature of deep time, the importance of temporal proportion in understanding the climate crisis, and the enduring presence of ancient species like butterflies in human history.