MATHEMATICAL GEOLOGY IN PERSPECTIVE: HAS OBJECTIVE HYPOTHESIS TESTING BECOME OVERLOOKED?

Abstract

The meaning of the term Mathematical Geology was contentious at the founding meeting of IAMG in 1968 and has remained so ever since. In North American usage, it has primarily meant statistical applications in geology, and thus is an extension of inventory that has been traditional in geology. To the Leningrad school (originally led by A. B. Vistelius), it is the discipline of testing geological hypotheses mathematically. Although mathematical hypothesis testing has considerable potential for the earth sciences, unfortunately, by comparison with inventory-type studies, it has received very little attention. Reference is drawn to recent papers in which geological hypotheses have been tested mathematically.