MECHANICS OF FORMATION OF ARCUATE 

 MOUNTAINS 



WILLIAM H. HOBBS 



University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 



CONTENTS 



Part I 

 Introduction 



The Alps the European Type of the Asiatic Mountain Arc 

 Conditions Favorable for Tectonic Studies of the Alps 

 The Blanketing Series of Slices Which Make Up the Alps 

 Necessity for Considering the Mechanics of Formation of Arcuate Moun- 

 tains 

 The Folding Process Studied in the Plan — Arcuate Structure 

 Areal and Morphological Characteristics of Asiatic Ranges 

 Structural Peculiarities of the Arcs 

 Centrifugal versus Centripetal Distribution of the Active Forces Which 



Produce Mountain Arcs 

 Deductions concerning the Relative Age of Asiatic Arcs 

 The Ocean Basins the Loci of Dispersion of Tangential Thrusts 

 Form of the Arcs and Their Distribution an Expression of the Space 

 Relations of Continental Pedestal and Ocean Floor 

 The Folding Process Studied in the Plan — Experiments with Con- 

 tracting Films 



Part II 



The Folding Process Studied in the Profile — General Considera- 

 tions 



Active and Passive Forces Involved in Folding 



Incompetence of Folding Layers to Transmit Compressive Stresses to 

 Long Distances 



Importance of Lenses of Sediments in Inducing Folding 

 The Folding Process Studied in the Profile — Anticline Evolution 



Successive Sectional Curves of a Growing Anticline 



Competence of a Relatively Strong Member in an Anticline to Lift the 

 Load from Inferior Strata 



Relative Competence of a Member in Successive Stages of Anticline 

 Evolution 



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