296 



B. KOTO: CAUSE OF THE GREAT 



nortli-soath direction along the Remutaka Mountains. 



Another well defined case is that of the ever memorable Calabrian 

 earthquake of 1783. {The southern extremity of the mainland of 

 Lower Italy is chiefly composed of primeval rocks. Grneisses and 

 granites occupy the greater part of the country, being partially covered 

 by Miocene and l^liocene of the faciès of Fly sch. A great i^cripheral 

 or lomjiiiuUiial fissure is said by Suess,* to traverse the whole 

 length of that part of the country called Calabria, and along this 

 tectonic line, the fearful shocks of 1783 found their way, having for their 

 destructive centre the city of O])pido. The seismic activity continued 

 for some weeks, and the shocks spread north, south, and west, but 

 very little towards the east, chiefly confining their motion to the 

 fissured line of the fault. The maximum point of the convulsive 

 attack was transferred from one place to another through Soriano and 

 Polia up to Girifalco near the northern end of the fault, and then 

 returned with equal fury towards Radicena near Oppido, which was 

 the epicentrum. The statement of Dolomieu on this earthquake is 

 very interesting, especially from a geological point of view-. The 

 Apennines, he says, consist for the greater part of granite, and at 

 their base are seen new (J'ertiary) strata wliich constitute the plain 

 of Calabria. The usual effect of the earthquake, he continues, was 

 to disconnect all those masses of newer formations which were 

 supported only by lateral adherence. Hence it follows that throughout 

 the whole lenu'th of the chain Avide chasms were formed between the 

 solid granitic nucleus and the sandy Flysch soil. 



The. lines of dislocation of Lower Italy and also that of Neir Zealand 

 are peripheral, i.e., longitudinal, running parallel u-itli the axes of the moun- 

 tains ; and in both cases it is remarkable to see either tl tat the dislocation has 

 taken place along the hoiuidarij of the two entirelij foreign formations ; or 



* Das Antlitz der Erde. 



