JOURNAL 



OF THE 



WASHINGTON ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



Vol. VI NOVEMBER 19, 1916 No. 19 



GEOPHYSICS. — A theory of terrestrial volcanoes and the geog- 

 raphy of the moon. 1 Stanislas Meunier, Museum of Natural 

 History, Paris. (Communicated by Arthur L. Day.) 



Long-continued studies have led me to develop a new theory 

 in regard to the phenomenon of volcanoes, a theory which, it 

 seems to me, harmonizes with the best-established facts of geo- 

 dynamics, differing therein from all preceding theories. A 

 necessary sequel has been a study of the consequences to which 

 the theory leads as regards the future of eruptive activity itself. 



In making that study, I adopted the method of the mathe- 

 matician, who proceeds to the solution of a given problem by 

 varying the elements of the problem in order to discover the 

 corresponding special cases. Accordingly I have assumed hy- 

 potheses regarding the geologic consequences that result from 

 modifying the variables of the problem. I shall not try to con- 

 ceal the satisfaction I felt on finding that one of the supposi- 

 tions examined explains completely the circumstances of lunar 

 economy. 



The discussion involves three main consequences: 



1. It tightens in an unexpected manner the geologic bonds 

 existing between the earth and the moon. This result is so con- 

 formable to the ingenious cosmologic conception of Laplace as 

 to constitute a veritable confirmation of it, by furnishing defini- 

 tive proof of the similarity of the physical constitution of our 



1 Translated from the French. 



637 



