Abraham Gottob Werner

Abraham Gottob Werner(1750-1817), along with James Hutton, is considered one of the founders of Geology. This German geologist's work was mostly concerned with the formation of the Earth and the formation of rocks. He focused on the color, luster, streak, and hardness of rocks and minerals, rather than on the chemical and crystal compositions that his contemporaries were working on. Though not much of a field worker himself, his writings and lectures influenced an entire generation of geologists. His terminology became known as "Wernerian" geology. This portrait of him was done in the 1920s by Abner Lowe. Object ID: USGS-575002