Norman Leslie Falcon. 29 May 1904-31 May 1996 A. J. Martin; P. B. ...

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164 Biographical Memoirsassistance (it did help) and felt handicapped by abysmal ignorance of the Tertiary. However the Wilsonsurvey proved an invaluable introduction to Zagros foothills geology. I was fascinated by the tribalenvironment with its cheerful and tough inhabitants, still armed, in gaudy tribal dress, not yet undergovernmental control (10).Subsequently Norman was sent to be the geologist on three wells at Gach-e-Garaguli (nowGach Saran), Qishn Island and the giant oil and gas complex at Agha Jari and Pazanun.Drilling at that time, using cable-tool technology, was often a tedious matter for a geologist.Recounting his early experiences (10) he recalled that the Gach-e-Garaguli No.3 well blew outbut did not bum. The drilling superintendent burst into Norman's office shouting that it wasall his fault-a judgement with which Norman disagreed. Norman suggested that they shouldsee for themselves what was happening and verify whether there was a fire, laconicallycommenting 'before I was fired too, which wouldn't have helped very much'.In 1930, APOC took the decision to map the complete Zagros Range at a scale of 4 milesto the inch. This project was lead by J.V. Harrison. Norman, who was about to return toEngland on leave, was persuaded to stay and join Harrison. Thus began a partnership of nearlyeight years of fieldwork in difficult mountainous terrain, at the end of which a majorcontribution had been made to mapping nearly 90000 square miles of country, bothgeologically and topographically. Between 1930 and 1937 Norman spent almost six years inthe field, broken only by short breaks in Masjid-e-Sulaiman.A topographical surveying team, led by W.E. Browne, worked ahead of the geologists toprovide a critical trigonometric base-map. The geologists' work, the product of carefulobservation with hammer and hand-lens, was plotted on their own topographical base-maps madewith plane-table and range-finder, placed on the trig-point framework of Browne's base-map.Thus Norman took part in the mapping of the Zagros Mountains from the Kermanshah areain the north-west (Luristan) south-eastwards through Khuzestan to the Shiraz area in northwestFars Province, passing by Central Fars, and picking up again in south-eastern Fars andthe western Makran east of Bandar Abbas. Not only had this entire region not beensystematically mapped before, but much of the tribal country of the Bakhtiari and Qashqai inKhuzestan and Fars was seen by Westerners for the first time.The territory was covered on foot with mobility provided by horse and mule packs. InLuristan, for example, the party traversed in excess of 2000 miles during the survey. In theMakran camels were substituted for the horses and mules. The relatively lower foothillscountry tended to be mapped in the winter months with the party moving to the 'High' Zagrosin the summer months. Camp life was made as comfortable as possible, bearing in mind theconstant moving and life under canvas for periods of up to 10-1 1 months. Norman eagerlytook to the work and mode of living. He enjoyed every aspect of the life and his physicalstamina became legendary. C.A.E. O'Brien writes:.. . I heard much about him from other geologists and through tribal contacts from Kurdistan in thewest, through Bakhtiari country . . . to the Qashqai tribes in the east . . . To the tribes he was consideredremarkable for his physical endurance, being able to work all day and then beat them all back to camp.Indeed in later life he always seemed impervious not only to physical fatigue but also to heatand cold.A full Zagros sucession was identified from the Cambrian to the Tertiary. but little attentionwas paid to the pre-Permian succession. The delineation of the thick (in excess of 5000 m)Permian to Pliocene succession provided the first ordered, reasonably complete and coherent
Norman Leslie Falcon 165insight to this Iranian sector of the Tethyan Province. The Zagros Mountain thrust-front, nowknown to mark the tectonic boundary between the Asian and Arabian Plates, was identified asa major crustal structural feature. This mapping has proved robust and has stood the test oftime. Later surveys, both geological and topographical, supportedby aerial photography, haverefined the maps in many points of detail but have not altered significantly the conclusions ofthe original fieldwork.44. t 4P L4 F E W E 11' 6 54. E 56' 6\ ,'::7 !,-'I 1TEHRANISh E56. NJRISTAN':. , .1II34. N31' N-. -- 10- N- ~1-. -.- --SAUDI3ARABIA- - - --d"Ix'\- - ! - - 4. - .*'.
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Page 10 and 11: 168 Biographical MemoirsIn 1955 G.M
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Page 18 and 19: Norman Leslie Falcon Bibliography V
Page 20 and 21: (Obituary) G.M.Lees.Geoqr1.J. 121,2
Page 22: geological boundaries and coloured

Norman Leslie Falcon. 29 May 1904-31 May 1996 A. J. Martin; P. B. ...

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