﻿346 
  JOURNAL 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OF 
  SCIENCES 
  VOL. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  15 
  

  

  that 
  in 
  geology, 
  for 
  the 
  Earth 
  is 
  so 
  much 
  more 
  complicated 
  ^ 
  Whereat 
  

   I 
  laugh. 
  He 
  has 
  asserted 
  that 
  the 
  Earth 
  is 
  more 
  complicated 
  than 
  

   the 
  universe. 
  His 
  difficulty 
  is 
  due 
  to 
  confusion 
  of 
  ages 
  of 
  strata 
  with 
  

   the 
  physical 
  conception 
  of 
  rate 
  of 
  change. 
  The 
  hour, 
  minute, 
  and 
  

   second 
  are 
  just 
  as 
  important 
  to 
  geology 
  as 
  era, 
  period, 
  and 
  epoch. 
  

   The 
  first 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  textbooks 
  of 
  geology 
  is 
  misnamed 
  "dynamical," 
  

   for 
  it 
  contains 
  no 
  measurements 
  of 
  dynamical 
  facts. 
  The 
  measure- 
  

   ments 
  needed 
  will 
  be 
  rough 
  at 
  first, 
  but 
  they 
  will 
  gradually 
  grow 
  pre- 
  

   cise. 
  This 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  meteorology 
  and 
  seismology, 
  and 
  

   geonomy 
  is 
  the 
  same 
  kind 
  of 
  science. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Daly 
  has 
  said 
  that 
  science 
  is 
  drowning 
  in 
  facts. 
  Geological 
  

   science 
  is 
  utterly 
  lacking 
  in 
  measured 
  facts 
  of 
  change 
  within 
  human 
  

   time. 
  Astronomical 
  science 
  is 
  wholly 
  made 
  up 
  of 
  precision 
  measure- 
  

   ments 
  of 
  change 
  within 
  human 
  time. 
  Has 
  this 
  discouraged 
  the 
  as- 
  

   tronomer? 
  Dr. 
  Hale 
  says 
  the 
  supreme 
  problems 
  are 
  the 
  constitution 
  

   of 
  matter, 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  celestial 
  bodies 
  and 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  the 
  

   universe. 
  The 
  supreme 
  problem 
  of 
  the 
  Earth 
  is 
  the 
  application 
  of 
  

   atomic 
  theory 
  to 
  the 
  evolution 
  of 
  the 
  globe 
  as 
  a 
  celestial 
  body. 
  Erup- 
  

   tion, 
  erosion, 
  sedimentation, 
  and 
  deformation 
  are 
  surface 
  manifes- 
  

   tations 
  of 
  terrestrial 
  evolution, 
  just 
  as 
  comets, 
  orbital 
  motion, 
  novae, 
  

   and 
  sunspots 
  manifest 
  celestial 
  evolution. 
  

  

  When 
  an 
  astrophysical 
  problem 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  solved, 
  a 
  certain 
  star 
  or 
  

   nebula 
  is 
  selected 
  as 
  a 
  type. 
  The 
  same 
  thing 
  may 
  be 
  done 
  for 
  sedi- 
  

   mentation. 
  Geographically 
  delimit 
  a 
  certain 
  strategic 
  area 
  and 
  

   measure 
  the 
  changes 
  there 
  in 
  relation 
  to 
  gravitation, 
  crustal 
  motion, 
  

   atmosphere, 
  water, 
  and 
  topographic 
  form. 
  Select 
  an 
  area 
  where 
  

   processes 
  are 
  rapid, 
  and 
  work 
  thence 
  to 
  areas 
  where 
  they 
  are 
  slow. 
  

   Do 
  the 
  work 
  with 
  trained 
  physical 
  experimenters 
  and 
  engineers. 
  

   Do 
  it 
  with 
  a 
  view 
  to 
  pure 
  geology, 
  for 
  purposes 
  of 
  discovery, 
  and 
  with- 
  

   out 
  economic 
  bias. 
  And 
  finally, 
  do 
  it 
  with 
  the 
  expectation 
  that 
  the 
  

   institution 
  will 
  live 
  after 
  the 
  individual 
  has 
  withered. 
  The 
  floods 
  

   of 
  a 
  decade 
  will 
  yield 
  unexpected 
  results, 
  the 
  rates 
  of 
  accumulation 
  

   will 
  show 
  seasonal 
  and 
  other 
  rhythms 
  undreamed 
  of 
  before, 
  and, 
  best 
  

   of 
  all, 
  the 
  problems 
  which 
  will 
  open 
  out 
  for 
  experimental 
  treatment 
  

   will 
  themselves 
  be 
  surprises. 
  If 
  properly 
  financed 
  and 
  manned, 
  

   such 
  a 
  station 
  will 
  be 
  more 
  quoted 
  than 
  the 
  Challenger 
  expedition, 
  

   and 
  will 
  take 
  rank 
  with 
  Mount 
  Wilson. 
  

  

  TENDENCIES 
  IN 
  THE 
  GROWTH 
  OF 
  GEOLOGY 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  of 
  interest 
  to 
  review 
  the 
  growth 
  of 
  geology 
  for 
  seeing 
  whither 
  

  

  