226 Hetneus — Artesian Waters of Australia. 



rate of flow of underground waters ; anomalies in temperature ; 

 anomalies in pressure ; salinity of artesian waters and the presence of 

 alkaline carbonates; zinc in Toowoomba water (?); tidal wells; outlet 

 for artesian basin, etc., etc. 



As regards the loss of head through friction, Mr. Pittman sees no 

 such great difficulty, quoting well-known instances from the Dakota 

 and Paris basins as disproving this notion of the loss of head through 

 friction to anything like the extent claimed by Professor Gregory, 

 whose own book, "The Dead Heart of Australia," may be quoted to 

 show the incorrectness of these views. 



The anomalies in temperature are no doubt very puzzling, as many 

 of the flowing wells in Australia show the rate of increase to be 

 1° F. for every 22 feet, which is greatly in excess of the average 

 of 1° r. for every 53 feet. 



To explain this difficulty Mr. Pittman compiles a table showing an 

 increase of 1° F. ranging from 130 feet to 17^ feet in depth, drawn 

 from localities in Europe and America. Gregory rejects the expla- 

 nation of " different ratios of conductivity" in the rocks themselves, 

 and the lecturer admits that some of the high temperatures may be 

 due to the bores having been put down to centres of expiring volcanic 

 activity. " It is only reasonable to suppose that the porous Triassic 

 sandstones which form the base of the artesian basin have also been 

 intersected by many dolerite dykes which do not appear at the present 

 surface." But are these anomalous temperatures any proof of the 

 plutonic origin of the water? It is more or less an assumption, we 

 believe, that there is any such thing as plutonic water. This is 

 probably nothing more or less than Daubree's quarry -ivater,^ though 

 possibly the Professor may consider the views of the eminent chemical 

 geologist as somewhat out of date. 



As regards anomalies in pressure, the consideration of this 

 subject would lead us into a study of isopotentials, which can 

 scarcely be followed without special topographical knowledge, but 

 the subject of saline contents may occupy our attention for a moment. 

 The following are the particulars of Gregory's objections under this 

 head: — (1) that the water does not increase in salinity with sufficient 

 regularity as it flows from east to west; (2) that the dissolved 

 constituents vary irregularly in nature as well as in amount in the 

 wells of the central basin ; (3) that the presence of alkaline carbonates 

 in the majority of the well-waters and of zinc in "the well of 

 Toowoomba " are evidence in favour of the plutonic origin of the 

 water. To the first two objections Pittman says there is nothing 

 remarkable that in a distance of 600 miles there should be variation 

 in the- accidental constituents of the artesian water, as such variations 

 occur in shallow wells in close j^roximity ; moreover, he contends that 

 the average salinity of the South Australian wells is distinctly higher 

 than that of the Avells in the eastern States. But the most extra- 

 ordinary thing is the idea that the presence of alkaline carbonates 

 should be quoted as evidence of plutonic origin. The artesian waters 



1 For an explanation of this term vide Eeview of Daubree's " Experimenta 

 Geolog-y," Geol. Mag., 1879, p. 427. 



