20 GLACIAL AND SUEFACE GEOLOGY OF THE PACIFIC COAST. 



Only the southern end of South America and the west side of the southern 

 extremity of New Zealand on that side of the equator can be included in the 

 list of typical fiord regions. The Atlantic coast-line of the Scandinavian 

 Peninsula, the west coast of Greenland, and perhaps also its east coast, — of 

 which little is known, owing to its inaccessibility, — the northwest coast of 

 North America, above Vancouver Island, — these are typical fiord regions. 

 In lower latitudes, the east side of the Adriatic Sea, especially its northern 

 portion, as well as the Grecian Peninsula, also belongs decidedly to fiord 

 regions, but does not exhibit these indentations on as grand a scale as the 

 first mentioned. 



The first thing which may be noticed in regard to indented coasts is, that 

 they are usually coasts rising precipitously from the water, or such as are 

 bordered by mountains or the descending edges of high plateau regions. In 

 fact, a mountainous background is an essential part of a true fiord coast. A 

 glance at the maps will show this to be a fact. But it is not Ijy any means 

 every mountainous coast which abounds in fiords. For instance, the stretch 

 of shore line from San Francisco south for several hundred miles is bordered 

 by a high mountain chain, but possesses hardly a single indentation, a want 

 most seriously felt in its relations to commerce. The whole coast of South 

 America is another excellent illustration of this ; it is, however, not to be 

 denied that the Andes do not rise immediately from the coast, although they 

 may seem to do so to those looking at the ordinary small-scale maps. 



The evident reason for the association of mountainous coasts with fiords is, 

 that these peculiar indentations represent an amount of erosive action which 

 can only be had in a high mountain range. Two things are required for the 

 erosion of these deep gorges which under suitable conditions become fiords. 

 These are : first, a large precipitation, or a great deal of material with which 

 to do the work ; and, second, a rapid fall of the surface, which gives the 

 power by which this material acts. All great mountain chains have their 

 sides deeply furrowed with steep valleys, gorges, or caiions. Let the Alps, or 

 the Himalayas, or any other great range, be sunk to a suitable depth beneath 

 the water, and the result will be that the central dominant range will project 

 above the surface of the water with an irregular and deeply indented coast- 

 line, while there will be occasional; and in some cases numerous, groups of 

 islands in the vicinity of such a coast. Let any one study the Norwegian 

 coast, for instance, and he will see at once tliat what are now fiords would 

 become mountain vallej's if the region were elevated so as to bi'ing the bot- 



