William 'Strata' Smith: A life of many layers

Methods originally developed to build canals in England’s Industrial Revolution became critical to mining’s future

William 'Strata' Smith: A life of many layers William 'Strata' Smith: A life of many layers William 'Strata' Smith: A life of many layers William 'Strata' Smith: A life of many layers William 'Strata' Smith: A life of many layers

Engraving from William Smith's 1815 monograph on identifying strata by fossils - Credit: W. Arding, London

 

The Industrial Revolution required vast quantities of coal. Previously, for centuries, people relied on charcoal for cheap fuel.

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