686 T. C. CHAMBERLIN 
there is now no evidence of this, they must be treated under a head 
of their own. 
1. The period of compression.—lf the earth remained fluidal 
until all its rock-substance was condensed into a globe, none of the 
energy lost in the assembling was available for making the observed 
diastrophic record, since this could only begin after consolidation 
began. If, on the other hand, the earth was built up of small solid 
accessions loosely laid down, these must have begun to suffer com- 
pression and distortion as soon as one layer was laid on another. 
The distortional process must in this case have run on thence 
through the whole history of growth. The compressional and 
distorttonal actions were furthermore brought on very gradually 
and great lapses of time were available to meet the growing stresses 
by the resources of readjustment, reorganization, metamorphism, 
and diastrophism. 
2. Availability of the main compression.—lf the earth was 
assembled in a fluid state, the interior underwent the full measure 
of fluidal compression from gravitative action before it could 
make any diastrophic record; little more than the effects of cooling 
remained available for deformative work after solidification took 
place. If, on the other hand, the material of the earth was added 
slowly in a loose, solid state, the main compressive effects entered 
into the record; for while the distortions in the deep interior 
would never be accessible, they must have been at all stages the 
foundation on which the later accessions were built and hence 
they gave direction to, as well as participated in, the stress effects 
that arose at every subsequent stage in the increase of mass. They 
must still continue to participate in the effects of all the more 
general changes in gravity. 
3. Chemico-physical combinations, readjusiments, and reorgant- 
zations.—If the earth remained fluid and convective until fully 
assembled, almost ideal opportunities for chemical combination 
and physical adjustment, as well as chemico-physical reorganization, 
would have been offered, except in so far as the heat itself may have 
restrained such action. To this extent the chemico-physical 
resources should have been exhausted before they became available 
for diastrophism. But if the earth were built up of solid particles 
