NATURE OF THE MATERIALS IN THE LITHOSPHERE 29 



Near the earth's surface the carbon dioxide and the moisture 

 which are present in the atmosphere are constantly changing 

 the exposed portions of the lithosphere into carbonates, hydrates, 

 and oxides. These compounds are more soluble than are the 

 minerals out of which they were formed, and they are also more 

 bulky and so tend to crack off from the parent mass on which 

 they were formed. As we are to see, for both of these reasons 

 the surface rocks of the lithosphere succumb to this attack from 

 the atmosphere. 



In connection with those wrinklings of the surface shell of the 

 lithosphere from which mountains result, the underlying rocks 

 are subjected to great strains, and even where no visible partings 

 are produced, the rocks are deformed so that individual minerals 

 may be bent into crescent-shaped or S-shaped forms, or they are 

 parted into one or more fragments which remain imbedded within 

 the rock. 



READING REFERENCES FOR CHAPTER III 

 Theories of origin of the earth : 



THOMSON and TAIT. Natural Philosophy. 2d ed. Cambridge, 1883, 



pp. 422. 

 T. C. CHAMBERLIN. Chamberlin and Salisbury's Geology, vol. 2, pp. 1-81. 



Rigidity of the earth : 



LORD KELVIN. The Internal Condition of the Earth as to Temperature, 



Fluidity, and Rigidity, Popular Lectures and Addresses, vol. 2, pp. 



299-318; Review of evidence regarding the physical condition of 



the earth, ibid., pp. 238-272. 

 HOBBS. Earthquakes (Appleton, New York, 1907), Chapters xvi and 



xvii. 



Composition of the earth's core and shell : 



O. C. FARRINGTON. The Preterrestrial History of Meteorites, Jour. 



GeoL, vol. 9, 1901, pp. 623-236. 

 E. S. DANA. Minerals and How to Study Them (a book for beginners 



in mineralogy). Wiley, New York, 1895. 



On the nature of crystals : 



VICTOR GOLDSCHMIDT. Ueber das Wesen der Krystalle, Ostwalds Annalen 

 der Naturphilosophie, vol. 9, 1909-1910, pp. 120-139, 368-419. 



