When Sir Charles Lyell visited the falls of Niagara in 1841, accompanied by State Geologist James Hall, he marvelled that New York was essential viewing to anyone who would understand the Earth's early history.  Using the recession rate of the falls, he calculated the first numerical constraint on the Earth's age.  The UB Department of Geology carries on Lyell's tradition at the source of American geology.  As a nationally and internationally known center for research and scholarship, UB's Department of Geology is a vital node of intellectual activity.