Giovanni Arduino (geologist)

Giovanni Arduino ( born October 16, 1714 Caprino Veronese, Republic of Venice, † March 21 1795 in Venice ) was an Italian geologist. He is considered the father of Italian geology.

Arduino was mining specialist. Based on his observations in northern Italy, he developed the early 1760s as first a system of geological era. He told geological formations in primary ( montes primitivi ), secondary ( montes secundarii ) and tertiary ( montes tertiarii ) layer sequences a. Behind this list already is the idea of the different ages of the layers. The "primitive" rocks ( basalts, granites, slates ) are the oldest formation, fossil limestone deposits later, secondary, and the little solidified, tertiary sediments Arduino recognized as the youngest. So there was a division of the geological era in the "primary " ( now called the Paleozoic or Palaeozoic ), " secondary " ( or today Mesozoic Mesozoic ) and " Tertiary " (now referred to as a part of the Cenozoic era Cenozoic ).

Arduino also recognized the importance of fossils and used these as well as chemical methods to determine the age of rock strata.

In addition to his geological studies, he dealt with metallurgy, chemical and agricultural technology.

The asteroid ( 29356 ) Giovarduino was named after him.

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