The New International Encyclopædia/Buch, Christian Leopold von
BUCH, booG, 
(1774-1853). A celebrated German geologist, regarded
by Humboldt as the greatest geologist of his
age. He was born at Stolpe, and received
instruction under Werner at the Mining Academy
of Freiberg. He afterwards traveled for purposes
of geological study through Germany, Scandinavia,
Great Britain, France, Italy, and the
Canary Islands. As a result of his investigations,
the importance of chemical and volcanic
processes in nature gained wide recognition
among geologists. His chief writings are
Geognostische Beobachtungcn auf Reisen durch
Deutschland und Italien (1802-09); Reise
durch Norwegen und Lappland (1810);
Physikalische Beschreibung der Canarischen Inseln
(1825); Beiträge zur Bestimmung der
Gebirgsformationen in Russland (1840); besides several
monographs on paleontological subjects. He was
also the author of an excellent geological chart
of Germany and the neighboring States,
published in 42 plates (2d ed. 1832). Consult an
English translation of Flourens, “Memoir of
Leopold von Buch,” in the Smithsonian Report
(Washington, 1862).