meunier: theory of volcanoes 647 



disappeared, erosion, formerly so active, will cease, and conse- 

 quently the products of eruption will persist without much 

 alteration. Meantime the centers of eruption wilJ constantly 

 increase in number, until they may eventually cover the entire 

 surface of the planet. By a singular contrast the planet des- 

 tined to perish by progressive cooling will don as its final gar- 

 ment a shroud woven by volcanic energy. 



The picture thus drawn of the effects of a prolongation of vol- 

 canic activity after the complete absorption of the surface water 

 is closely analogous to the most essential features of lunar geog- 

 raphy. Without going into detail, I will content myself with 

 expressing my satisfaction on finding that the volcanic theory 

 outlined at the beginning of this article is completely borne out 

 by an object-lesson, the moon. 



Let us suppose that this theory really expresses the facts, and 

 that the earth at the dawn of the Tertiary epoch had reached 

 a condition where all its surface water had been absorbed, while 

 the volcanic activity was still in full blast. It is easy to see 

 what would have happened. Volcanic eruptions would have 

 continued, and their products would have been spread over the 

 surface ; but there would have been this essential difference, the 

 volcanic outflows would no longer have been exposed to the 

 destructive action of rain and seas. They would have accumu- 

 lated side by side without perceptible change. To form an idea 

 of the morphologic effect on the earth's surface it may suffice to 

 point out that the previous sediments would have disappeared, 

 more or less completely, beneath this sheet of volcanic material. 



The importance of this fact will be appreciated if we cast a 

 glimpse at the condition in which Europe, for example, would 

 be if all the eruptive formations poured out since the beginning 

 of Tertiary time had remained intact, side by side. 



From Iceland, with Hecla and its companions, from the 

 British isles, with Skye, the Hebrides, the Faroes, and Ireland, 

 with Antrim, to the Mediterranean basin, with Sicily, conti- 

 nental Italy, Elba, and Santorin, the Tertiary and Quaternary 

 eruptive centers follow one another without any wide gaps. All 

 central Europe was volcanic: Hungary and Transylvania are 



