A.D.N Bain and Inselberge

Abstract

A.D.N. Bain (1895-1982) had two careers. One was with the Nigerian Geological Survey (1920-1939) when he made notable contributions to our knowledge of that country, and particularly its tin and other mineral resources. After a period in retirement (1940-1947) he was appointed to a largely administrative post with the Geological Survey of Victoria (1948-1959). But it was as a result of his Nigerian field experiences that in 1923 he published a short and significant, but neglected, paper concerning the origin of inselberg massifs and some of the minor forms developed on them. In particular he noted the significance of fractures in determining the course of weathering and hence of erosion. He also appreciated the significance of spatial inequalities in rates of weathering and erosion in apparently homogenous structural settings, and their impact on the development of landforms.