REPORTS OF RESEARCH COiMMITTEES. 3()9 



SECTION C. 



3. Physiographic Features of Australasia Committee. 



{By E. C. Andrews, Secretary to the Committee.) 



GENERAL STATEMENT. 



Very important advances have been mad© in our knowledge of 

 Australasian physiography since the Melbourne Meeting of 1913. 

 The work accomplished is a tribute to the soundness of the prin-. 

 ciples laid down by the brilliant school of American physio- 

 graphers, such as Davis, Button, Gannett, Gilbert, and Powell. 



Among the many problems discussed during the past decade 

 are : — 



(1) The Geographical Unity of the Pacific Region during 



the Cainozcic Period, based upon a knowledge of the 

 symmetrical aiTangement of its oceanic " Deeps," its 

 seismic and volcanic zones, its plateaux, the stage of 

 dissection of the latter, and eo on. 



(2) The change of climate in Cainozoic Time. This has 



been considered especially by Speight and Taylor. 



(3) The history of the flowering plants of Australia as told 



by their re'sponse to' a changing environment. This 

 has been considered by Andrews and Cockayne. 



(4) The evolution of land forms in areas of subaricUty and 



of aridit}-. Considered by Gregory, Jutson, and 

 others. 



(5) The emergence aud submergence of coasts. 



(6) The erosive wcxk of glaciers in recent times. This has 



been considered by Andi'ews, Benson, T. W. E. 

 David, and Loftus Hills. T. L. Taylor has studied 

 this in Antarctica. 



(7) The criteria of faulting, as considered by Andrews, Ben- 



son, C. A. Cotton, David, Fenner, Jutson, Sussmilch, 

 and Taylor. The work of C. A. Cotton in New Zea- 

 land is notable in this connection. 



Jensen and Jutson have devoted attention especially to the 

 questions cf erosion in Northern and Western Au'itrali.i lespec- 

 tively. Howchin has discussed the physiography of South Aus- 

 tralia. Benson and Loftus Hills have thrown considerable light 

 on glacial action in Tasmania within recent time, while many 

 observers, such as Blatchford, Leo A. Coitton, David, H. E.: 

 Gregory, J. W. Gregory, Harper, Hedley, Maitland, Marks, 

 Montgomery, Poole, Somerville, Woodward, and Woolnough, have 

 added greatly also to our knowledge of physiographic process in 

 Australia. 



