Henry Clifton Sorby 1826-1908

The Sorby Geology Forum acts as a vehicle for subject-focused lectures and interactive discussion meetings between academic staff and research workers, with expertise and interests in various different aspects of Geology/Earth Science, who are widely dispersed across different Departments and Faculties within the University of Sheffield. An important objective is to spark new collaborative research and teaching initiatives within this increasingly broad and inter-disciplinary subject in order to obtain a better understanding of the past, present and future evolution of Planet Earth. It is appropriate that this Geology discussion forum is named after Henry Clifton Sorby who as well as being a widely revered pioneering geologist, mineralogist, materials scientist and environmental scientist promoted the establishment of the University of Sheffield and generously endowed the Chair of Geology and the Sorby Research Fellowship.

Meetings will be mainly aimed at academic staff within the University and post-doctoral research assistants and post-graduate students. However, undergraduate students are very welcome to attend, as are any others throughout Sheffield and nearby areas with geological interests. The latter includes members of the Geological Section of the long-established Sorby Natural History Society.
It is the intention that there be an annual designated Sorby Geology Lecture to be presented by an invited, high profile, external speaker. This will be widely advertised as an Open Lecture in the hope of attracting a wide audience from both within and outside of the University. Professor Jane Plant (Deputy Director of the British Geological Survey) presented the first Sorby Geology Lecture on the inter-relationships between "Geochemistry and Health" on Wednesday 1st November 2000.

If you wish to be added to the mailing list for announcements of meetings of the Sorby Geology Forum then please write to or e-mail Dr Martin Whyte.