﻿IS 
  THE 
  EARTH 
  GROWING 
  OLD? 
  POMPECKJ 
  261 
  

  

  should 
  be 
  evidenced 
  by 
  the 
  changes 
  which 
  occur 
  ^^'ithin 
  it 
  through 
  the 
  

   motions 
  of 
  its 
  component 
  masses. 
  For 
  the 
  earth 
  this 
  will 
  mean 
  to 
  us 
  

   alterations 
  through 
  movements 
  of 
  masses 
  upon 
  and 
  within 
  the 
  earth's 
  

   crust, 
  the 
  evidence 
  for 
  which 
  is 
  documented 
  in 
  the 
  manner 
  and 
  nature 
  

   in 
  which 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  crust 
  occur. 
  

  

  The 
  mass 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  crust 
  are 
  manifold. 
  There 
  are 
  

   the 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  and 
  the 
  hydrosphere 
  and 
  their 
  

   effects 
  upon 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  surface 
  through 
  weathering, 
  

   chemical 
  transformations, 
  mechanical 
  transportation, 
  the 
  accumula- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  material, 
  the 
  formation 
  of 
  new 
  rocks, 
  the 
  movements 
  of 
  

   glaciers 
  with 
  their 
  effects 
  upon 
  the 
  earth's 
  surface, 
  etc. 
  The 
  inter- 
  

   mixing 
  of 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  lithosphere 
  occurs 
  in 
  great 
  variety 
  — 
  

   through 
  faulting, 
  the 
  earth's 
  crust 
  breaks 
  into 
  great 
  blocks 
  some 
  of 
  

   which 
  rise, 
  some 
  sink; 
  through 
  folding, 
  the 
  massive 
  mountains 
  and 
  

   mountain 
  chains 
  rise 
  between 
  immobile 
  blocks; 
  through 
  w^arping, 
  the 
  

   earth's 
  crust 
  is 
  arched 
  up 
  in 
  some 
  places, 
  in 
  others 
  it 
  is 
  depressed. 
  

   The 
  seas 
  accompany 
  such 
  movements 
  by 
  invading 
  the 
  lands 
  in 
  places 
  

   and 
  in 
  turn 
  are 
  forced 
  to 
  retreat. 
  Paroxysms 
  of 
  trembling 
  in 
  the 
  

   earth's 
  crust 
  occurring 
  as 
  earthquakes, 
  and 
  the 
  mad 
  outbursts 
  of 
  vol- 
  

   canoes 
  are 
  bound 
  up 
  with 
  movements 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  blocks 
  of 
  this 
  crust. 
  

   Finally 
  there 
  are 
  the 
  slight 
  tidal 
  movements 
  within 
  the 
  crust, 
  the 
  

   tides 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  and 
  the 
  slight, 
  restless 
  movement 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  axis 
  

   of 
  rotation. 
  All 
  these 
  movements 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  as 
  the 
  exjjression 
  of 
  

   the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  earth, 
  that 
  Berget 
  has 
  attractively 
  sketched 
  in 
  his 
  

   beautiful 
  book, 
  " 
  Life 
  and 
  death 
  of 
  this 
  globe." 
  

  

  An 
  organic 
  body 
  (organism), 
  by 
  virtue 
  of 
  its 
  construction 
  out 
  of 
  

   protoplasm, 
  possesses 
  the 
  ability 
  to 
  pass 
  through 
  its 
  life 
  processes; 
  

   but 
  this 
  ability 
  is 
  active 
  only 
  when 
  its 
  protoplasmic 
  cell 
  exists 
  in 
  the 
  

   proper 
  relations 
  to 
  light 
  and 
  warmth, 
  to 
  water 
  and 
  air, 
  and 
  with 
  

   the 
  necessary 
  food 
  supply. 
  Similarly 
  at 
  least 
  a 
  very 
  great 
  part 
  of 
  

   the 
  expression 
  of 
  earth-life 
  is 
  possible 
  only 
  through 
  the 
  determin- 
  

   ing 
  interaction 
  of 
  its 
  surroundings 
  and 
  the 
  cooperation 
  of 
  cosiuical 
  

   influences. 
  Over 
  a,ll 
  stands 
  the 
  mastery 
  of 
  the 
  eternal 
  laws 
  of 
  

   cosmical 
  physics. 
  

  

  The 
  motions 
  of 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  and 
  the 
  hydrosphere 
  are 
  developed, 
  

   widely 
  influenced, 
  and 
  kept 
  in 
  their 
  courses 
  through 
  the 
  cosmical 
  

   element 
  of 
  the 
  radiation 
  from 
  the 
  sun, 
  the 
  earth's 
  rotation, 
  and 
  the 
  

   changing 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  earth 
  in 
  its 
  orbit. 
  In 
  their 
  motions, 
  as 
  well 
  

   as 
  their 
  actions 
  upon 
  the 
  rocks 
  of 
  the 
  earth's 
  crust, 
  the 
  atmosphere 
  and 
  

   hydrosphere 
  are 
  greatly 
  directed 
  and 
  influenced 
  by 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  

   gravity. 
  Therewith 
  there 
  is 
  a 
  striving, 
  though 
  often 
  interrupted, 
  

   within 
  the 
  earth's 
  crust, 
  and 
  indeed 
  throughout 
  the 
  whole 
  earth, 
  

   toward 
  a 
  position 
  of 
  gravitative 
  equilibrium. 
  The 
  rocks 
  formed 
  

   under 
  the 
  action 
  of 
  the 
  hj^drosphere 
  and 
  atmosphere 
  through 
  the 
  

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