Ch. 4] GEOPHYSICAL PROBLEMS 73 



sciences, such as physics, mathematics, engineering, economics, hy- 

 drology, oceanography, seismology, meteorology, geodesy, terrestrial 

 magnetism and electricity, and practically all phases of geology. If 

 one approaches a problem in geophysics without recognizing the 

 breadth of this segment of human knowledge, it is highly improbable 

 that a satisfactory solution will be obtained. Restricting one's point 

 of view too severely has accounted for many of the failures of the 

 past. It is only through the complete integration of all related fields 

 that a completely satisfactory solution may be achieved. 



One may ask: "How can one person cover such a broad field of 

 knowledge?" The problem is not new. It is one which the geologists 

 have cultivated, one which accounts for their success in many fields 

 of endeavor. Their guiding principle was stated many years ago by 

 T. C. Chamberlain * as the principle of working hypotheses. Under 

 the philosophy of this idea the investigator pursues the problem with 

 an open mind. He does not formulate a final solution until he has 

 attacked the problem from many angles. In the design of a founda- 

 tion, for example, he will first study the geologic setting, the structure 

 and stratigraphy of bedrock. Then, from the viewpoints of sedimen- 

 tation and soil mechanics, he will examine the soil and overburden, 

 viewing them not only as structural materials to support the founda- 

 tion. As a geologist he will recognize that the soil in his hand is a 

 result of many active processes, resulting in the soil as it is today, and 

 constantly changing its properties. At some future time it may not 

 possess the same characteristics. The scientist will look for new facts 

 and new processes which in the future may modify present conditions. 

 These researches lead him into the fields of seismology and earth- 

 quakes, oceanography, geodesy, hydrology and meteorology, geology 

 and sedimentation. 



The illustration depicts the principle of multiple working hypotheses. 

 From each independent point of view a preliminary estimate of perti- 

 nent factors is achieved. When all possible points of view have been 

 examined, they are integrated into an evaluation of the relative im- 

 portance of each separate element. When this integration is made, a 

 new factor will be noted, namely, that the whole is greater than the 

 sum of the parts. Herein lies the great power of this working prin- 

 ciple. When several independent factors are correlated, new factors 

 appear which are the result of the interrelation of two or more com- 

 ponents. In communication networks this element is known as "cou- 

 pling." It represents a measure of the mutual and reciprocal rela- 



*T. C. Chamberlain. The methods of the earth-sciences, Popular Science 

 Monthly, Vol. 66, pp. 66-75, Nov. 1904. 



