James Hall, 4th Baronet

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For the American geologist known as "James Hall" see James Hall (paleontologist).

Sir James Hall, 4th Baronet (January 17, 1761 - June 23, 1832) was a geologist and geophysicist, born in Dunglass, Scotland. He inherited a baronetcy from his father in 1776. Hall studied at Cambridge University and the University of Edinburgh.

Early in his career, Hall studied chemistry under Prof Joseph Black and natural history under Prof John Walker. During the 1780s he travelled to France and met Lavoisier. He returned to Scotland to promote the new French chemical nomenclature. He was particularly taken by James Hutton's theory of the earth during the 1780s and 1790s and this led him to publish several papers on the chemical composition of strata. In particular, he carried out research on granite that showed that it was possible for molten rock to form non-conformities. His results were published in the Transactions of the Royal Society of Edinburgh and were well received by those like Prof John Playfair who wanted to use Hutton's theory to promote a more mathematical approach to geology. Hall traveled extensively in Europe to examine geological formations of the Alps and Mount Etna. He noted the similarity of lava flows in Italy to locations in Scotland.

James Hall died in Edinburgh, Scotland.

His son, Basil Hall, was a noted traveler and writer.

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