Geoscientist cover competition
Congratulations to Elizabeth Pickett, winner of our Geoscientist magazine cover competition!
The competition was held to mark the 100th anniversary of female Fellowship of the Geological Society, with the first eight women elected to Fellowship on 21 May 1919.
Elizabeth writes:
'Although knowledge, understanding and technology have developed enormously since 1919, the rocks are still fundamentally the same, as are many aspects of geological fieldwork. Today's geologist is building on foundations, both geological and societal, laid down by her pioneering 1919 predecessor.
Despite the differences in their situations, they can still reach across the time gap to discuss the geology of an area and share observations and ideas - I like to think they'd have a lot to discuss!'
Runners up
We received so many eye-catching entries, we wanted to highlight a few more of our favourites.
Lauren Moore's illustration depicts the diversity of women in geology throughout time, and highlights the support that networks of female geoscientists have given each other.
Nicola Dakin sent us a beautiful image depicting Mary Anning, one of the first recognised female palaeontologists of the 19th century.
100 years of female Fellows
The first eight women to become Fellows of the Geological Society were elected on 21 May 1919. They included pioneering graptolite research Gertrude Elles, eminent palaeontologist and politician Dame Maria Ogilvie and stratigrapher and palaeontologist Ethel Skeat.
Their admission followed decades of campaigning, and was finally achieved following a curiously mundane amendment to the Society’s bye-laws:
‘Article XXIII. Interpretation – In the interpretation of these Bye-Laws words in the masculine gender only, shall include the feminine gender also.’
It was a major victory in a long campaign by female geologists to be recognised by their peers.
Find out how we're marking the anniversary.