1906. J 



SEE— THE CAUSE OF EARTHQUAKES. 



317 



steep and precipitous on the west. And when this form was once 

 attained the upheaval of the Coast Range became inevitable. The 

 present position of the San Joaquin river near the western side of 

 the valley still shows this form of the valley, and enables us to see 

 the precise process of transformation. 



It is, perhaps, doubtful whether the elevation of these mountains 

 has yet ceased ; the earthquakes in California and the low level of 

 the valleys would seem to show that the whole state is still rising. 



Fig. II. 



Sea- Xewat 



>h^ 



^•^^.-^^^F^^^^m. 



a. Mountain formation just beginning. 



b. Mountain formation in the middle stages. 



»^*- 



c. Mountain formation in the later stages. 



d. New range rising from the sea. 



and I am told that this is also shown by beaches and shells at many 

 places along the coast. 



The same principles which are here applied to the Californlan 

 mountains can be applied to other mountain ranges throughout 

 the world. 



§ 17. Significance of the asymmetry of a mountain chain zvith 

 respect to its principal axis. 



It is generally noticed that most mountains are unsymmetrical on 

 the two sides ; one side has a gradual slope, while the other is steep 

 and precipitous. Moreover, the spurs jutting out from the range 

 are unequally divided 'between the two sides, the larger number of 



