On Voleanos and Earthquakes. se 
great celerity ; let us collect the air thus disengaged, and w 
find its quantity a tory above four per cent. in bulk of 
e water under experim 
he water of the sea, ent under full atmospheric pres- 
sure, is constantly agitated by the wind, and, being divided, 
at its surface into waves an breakers, it so multiplies its 
points of contact with the atmospheric air, that it, of course, 
absorbs all that its affinity for it, under these circumstances, 
allows, Moreover, all rain water being divided into drops, 
the a insoretaa condition for its combination, brings down 
water perfectly saturated with air, and the whole quantity of 
rain ‘that falls on the globe goes ultimately to the se 
er it falls directly into it, or whether it is carried to it et rivers 
flowing down and renewing constantly their surfaces, all 
which circumstances unite to supply the sea with a new 
and perpetual addition of combined atmospheric air; it may 
then be admitted that the sea water is completely saturated 
with this fluid. 
e have seen, in one of the preceding paragraphs, that 
a affinity of the air for water is very weak. Is it a chemi- 
com pe abe or mere rely an affinity of cohesion? It mat- 
that the SS c ange in the temperature, or in the relative 
densities, destroys their union. We bere ust seen that’ in 
Se aae a separates from the w ate I, seme 
breaks into bubbles at its surface. Now, below the depth of 
twenty-five thousand six hundred feet, the air is denser than 
tie water ; and if a density different from that of the water in 
nus has been sufficient to operate their disunion, a similar 
difference i in plus must produce the same effect. _A bubble 
f ai 
density being’ superior to. t ‘medium in which it is 
pace it must plunge to the Bottoni, performing it 
we have ascertained to be the case with the 
of the ‘sea, to supply the gonetant consumption of it, as we 
Until this is moment we ere called the air Speidhed by vi 
ter atmospheric air; which, according to the siclpiodia prs 
