Charles Taylor Trechmann and the development of Caribbean geology between the wars

Charles Taylor Trechmann (1884–1964) is best known in the UK for research on the Pleistocene and Zechstein of northeast England, but he also published on the geology of New Zealand and the Antilles. After 1924, Trechmann was financially independent and devoted his time to research. His research programme in the 1920s and 1930s involved work on the archaeology and geology of northeast England during the summer and the geology of the Antilles during the winter. annʹs contribution to Caribbean geology was considerable. He published the first detailed descriptions of aspects of the geology of many Antillean islands, including Jamaica, Barbados, Tobago and Carriacou. In Jamaica, he made comprehensive studies of many deposits that had originally been identified by nineteenth century surveyors. Trechmannʹs studies of fossil molluscs are still standard references for many areas and stratigraphic units. He published at least 40 books and papers on Caribbean geology. annʹs individuality led to an unorthodox approach to geology. He was not afraid of controversy and some later publications lacked rigour. His mountain uplift theory, which proposed tidal action as an important tectonic force, is typical of the more iconoclastic, pre-plate tectonic theories of the 1950s, but had to be privately published.