194 CARNEGIE INSTITUTION 



preliminary plans for a building. The heavy walls and arches 

 would be expensive, but the absence of flues and the flat wall sur- 

 faces called for would tend to keep down the cost. 



Problems of Geophysics. 



I have consulted Messrs. George H. Darwin, Charles Chree, Kohl- 

 rausch, and others on the problems which can be attacked in a geo- 

 physical laboratory with fair prospects of success. They appear to 

 agree with the views set forth in Appendix 1 to Report of Advisory 

 Committee on Geophysics (Carnegie Institution Year Book, No. i, 

 pp. 44-58). In particular, Professor Chree, who is the leading 

 expert on the theory of the vibrations of a sphere, agrees with me 

 that some 3 r ears of mathematical work must be done before seismo- 

 logical observations can be duly interpreted. Such mathematical 

 investigation should certainly be undertaken as soon as possible. 

 Investigations into finite stress and strain, rupture, the steady flow 

 of heat, diffusivity, aqueo-igneous and dry fusion, together with the 

 whole chemistry and physics of high temperatures, afford brilliant 

 prospects of important results and wide applications of the conclu- 

 sions drawn to terrestrial problems. 



It would be easy to enumerate many specific problems, and this I 

 have done in a manuscript report to Mr. Walcott, entitled " Remarks 

 on Geophysics," dated March 21, 1902 (not published), but the 

 work indicated in the last paragraph would worthily occupy any 

 institution for many years, and a consideration of what should be 

 undertaken when this is done may well be postponed. 



Washington, D. C, October 2, 1903. 



