earth science

Mary Cecilia Foley

Mary Cecilia Foley is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Mary Cecilia Foley rather than just read about it. In short: Mary Cecilia Foley (8 October 1859 – 22 October 1925) was a British geologist who worked at the University of London. Early life and education Foley was born at Wadhurst, Sussex in October 1859.

Key takeaways

Mary Cecilia Foley belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Mary Cecilia Foley to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Mary Cecilia Foley from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Mary Cecilia Foley (8 October 1859 – 22 October 1925) was a British geologist who worked at the University of London.

Early life and education Foley was born at Wadhurst, Sussex in October 1859. She was the daughter of John Foley, vicar of Wadhurst, and Caroline Elizabeth Foley (née Windham), and had an older sister, Caroline Rhys Davids and a brother Charles Windham Foley. Four years before she was born, five of her siblings died from diphtheria within weeks of each other between December 1855 and January 1856. They are commemorated in the church of St Peter and St Paul, Wadhurst. Foley studied at University College, London under geologist Thomas George Bonney. She graduated in 1891 with an honours degree in geology and was awarded the Morris prize for geology that same year. Foley was active in improving women's welfare through social work and advancement in politics. Foley is known for her contribution to the understanding of geology with her discovery of dark green glass in volcanic lava located at Bertrich.

Geologists' Association During the 1890s, Foley was an active member of the Geologists' Association, which is an inclusive professional organization that welcomes geologists of all backgrounds. Foley also published a number of reports of field excursions, and in 1896, she published a paper on 'enclosures of glass in basalt', based on field observations of some volcanic outcrops in the Eifel. She served on the council of the Geologists' Association from 1897 to 1900, and from 1909 to 1912. Foley was only the second woman, after Catherine Raisin, to be elected to serve on the council. From 1901 to 1903, Foley was excursions secretary for the association. From 1901 to 1925 Foley was the Chief Lady Invigilator at London University. During the 1900s, Foley assisted her sister Caroline Rhys Davids with the transcription of two Buddhist texts in the Pali language: the Dukapaṭṭhāna (1906) and the Yamaka (1911).

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Mary Cecilia Foley

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Mary Cecilia Foley claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Mary Cecilia Foley before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Mary Cecilia Foley ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Mary Cecilia Foley

In research: Mary Cecilia Foley appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Mary Cecilia Foley in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Mary Cecilia Foley is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1859 births, 1925 deaths, 19th-century British geologists, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Mary Cecilia Foley outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Mary Cecilia Foley in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Mary Cecilia Foley means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Mary Cecilia Foley out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Mary Cecilia Foley in simple terms?

Mary Cecilia Foley (8 October 1859 – 22 October 1925) was a British geologist who worked at the University of London. Early life and education Foley was born at Wadhurst, Sussex in October 1859.

Why does Mary Cecilia Foley matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Mary Cecilia Foley?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Mary Cecilia Foley.