Who was William 'Strata' Smith?
Q: Who was William 'Strata' Smith?
A: William 'Strata' Smith was an English geologist who created the first nationwide geological map.
Q: What was Smith's background?
A: Smith was the son of a blacksmith which meant that his family was humble.
Q: How did Smith make his geological discoveries?
A: Smith made his geological discoveries when he was a young man and worked as a surveyor, traveling the country.
Q: What was Smith's greatest discovery?
A: Smith's greatest discovery was that sedimentary rocks of a similar age held fossils of a similar type, allowing him to identify them when they were at the surface in different parts of the country.
Q: What did Smith do with his discoveries?
A: Smith put together the historical geology of Britain (England and Wales) and southern Scotland into a single record.
Q: How was Smith treated by the scientific community when his map was first published?
A: At the time Smith's map was published, he was almost unknown to the scientific community.
Q: Why did Smith face financial troubles later in his life?
A: Smith's work was plagiarised, leading him to financial ruin and even time in debtors' prison.
