Arnold Escher von der Linth

Who was Arnold Escher von der Linth?

Arnold Escher von der Linth was a Swiss geologist, the son of Hans Conrad Escher von der Linth.

He made the first ascent of the Lauteraarhorn on 8 August 1842 together with Pierre Jean Édouard Desor and Christian Girard, and guides Melchior Bannholzer and Jakob Leuthold.

In 1856 he became professor of geology at the École Polytechnique at Zürich and established the Geological Institute there. His researches led him to be regarded as one of the founders of Swiss geology. With Bernhard Studer he produced the first elaborate geological map of Switzerland.

In particular, his scientific liaison with the Scottish geologist Roderick Murchison made him a contributor to the discovery of the Silurian system, and the first systematic description of sedimentary rocks and their index fossils.

He was also the author of Geologische Bemerkungen über dos nordliche Vorarlberg und einige angrenzenden Gegenden, published at Zürich in 1853.