124 | Great Geologists
geochemistry. This involved close collaboration with the
British Geological Survey, an organisation she had close
affinity with given her love of field work. Her last book,
published in 1983, demonstrates her growing interests –
Geology and Man – An Introduction to Applied Earth Science.
This research stemmed from her views on the nature of
the deep crust where she envisaged within a mobile layer
high-grade metamorphism and partial melting leading to
the production of granites, migmatites and associated
mineralisation.
In 1982 Watson was appointed President of the Geological
Society of London, the first woman to hold this role.
Previously, in 1973, she had been awarded the prestigious
Lyell Medal by the society in recognition of her research
(the second woman in the history of the society to be its
recipient) and in 1979 elected a Fellow of the Royal Society.
In 2016, the Geological Society launched a biennial meeting
named in her honour. These are aimed particularly at young
professionals, whom she was keen to encourage in their
careers. She was a popular speaker at student societies,
always being relied upon to give a clear and entertaining
presentation, with an emphasis of field geology that is
inspiring to students.
inspirational figure. Her legacy can be measured by the
number of research students she assisted or supervised in
her time at Imperial, many of whom have gone on to their
own distinguished careers. Although essentially a private
person, she infected people with a genuine enthusiasm for
geology, no matter if in the field, the research laboratory or
when serving on an international committee.
REFERENCES
This essay has drawn upon information from the following
sources:
Bowes, D.R. 1987. Janet Watson – an appreciation and
bibliography. In: Park, R.G. & Tarney, J. (eds.) Evolution of the
Lewisian and Comparable Precambrian High Grade Terrains.
The Geological Society, London, Specials Publications, 27,
1-5.
Goodenough, K. M. & Krabbendam, M. 2011. A Geological
Excursion Guide to the North-West Highlands of Scotland.
Edinburgh Geological Society, 215pp.
Fettes, D.J. & Plant, J.A. 1995. Janet Watson. 1 September
1923 – 29 March 1985. Biographical Memoirs of Fellows of
the Royal Society, 41, 500-514.
Janet Watson passed away in 1985 at the relatively young
age of 61 depriving our profession of an influential and
Deformation in Lewisian gneiss, Assynt region, North-West Highlands of Scotland.