OCTOBEB 23, 1908] 



SCIENCE 



563 



years (wiiicli geologists claim were required 

 for the formatioii of the rock layers contain- 

 ing evidences of former terrestrial life) only 

 on the supposition that there was practically 

 no radiation into space of inherent earth- 

 heat ; the assumption has been that the earth's 

 surface temperature was kept from falling to 

 a lower temperature because of the assumed 

 high temperature of space (by " temperature 

 of space " I mean the temperature of the 

 solar rays in free space at the earth's distance 

 from the sun). 



But, as I have demonstrated that the 

 temperature of space is far below the hitherto 

 accepted value of this constant, the earth 

 must be losing its heat with much greater 

 rapidity than the advocates of a cooling 

 earth have, theoretically, found to be the case 

 for the data used. If, as most geologists 

 claim, the stratified rocks were produced by a 

 rearrangement of the matter previously con- 

 tained in the older rocks, then, indeed, the 

 hundreds of millions of years might easily 

 be required to produce the rock strata built 

 up since pre-Cambrian times; but, if the 

 building material was obtained and trans- 

 ported in the manner here explained, the 

 geological periods were of very much shorter 

 duration. 



To make a fairly comprehensive reply to 

 Dr. Barrell's criticisms a very brief presenta- 

 tion of my theory as to the origin of the main 

 sedimentary rocks will be necessary. 



I find that geologists in their studies have 

 regarded as unessential the part which the 

 ancient volcanoes must have played in the 

 formation of rock strata. Without in any 

 way calling in question certain assigned 

 effects produced by the action of water in its 

 various forms and positions, it seems to me 

 that the transporting power of the atmosphere 

 must have been by far the most efficient agent 

 for covering the earth's surface with different 

 layers made up of finely divided matter which 

 was originally ejected into the atmosphere in 

 the form of volcanic dust, the chemical con- 

 stitution of which varied from time to time 

 and was further modified by contact with the 

 atmosphere and water. 



In a, recent issue of Science I show, theo- 

 retically, that the eastward circulation of our 

 atmosphere is caused by a vertical circulation 

 (the ascending matter being arranged in the 

 form of an expanding spiral having the 

 greatest density near the axis of the spiral), 

 resulting from ruptures of air strata in un- 

 stable equilibrium because of the different 

 temperatures due to trapped heat. Now it is 

 known that the gases issuing from certain 

 volcanic vents are not only under very great 

 pressure, but the temperature of these gases 

 is very high, consequently the lighter ma- 

 terials also issuing from the vent will be 

 carried to various great heights along with 

 the expanding gases, and before these ma- 

 terials have time to settle back to the earth's 

 surface differential angular drifts (diurnal) 

 cause this matter to be distributed throughout 

 a broad zone parallel to the equator and com- 

 pletely encircling the earth. Owing to the 

 eastward circulation of the atmosphere, much 

 more matter falls on the east side of the meri- 

 dian of the vent than on the west side, as the 

 heavier materials settle back to the earth 

 sooner than the lighter ones. In general, 

 therefore, the slope of the accumulated ma- 

 terial will be long and gradual on the east 

 side, but short and steep on the west side 

 of a volcanic region. If the surface on which 

 the debris falls is the ocean (or other body of 

 water), most of the matter finally sinks to the 

 bottom and forms stratified layers; but if 

 water currents are present, a different dis- 

 tribution is made.'' Wind and rain tend to 

 keep the higher land areas swept clear of 

 such matter, so that stratified layers do not, 

 as a rule, accumulate on such a surface. 



^As the weight of the deposit is much greater 

 on the east side, the weak, severely strained crust 

 on the west is often found dipping into the ocean; 

 and local dgbris-transporting currents are formed 

 by contact of the water with both the thin crust 

 of the earth and with the heated matter forced 

 into the bed of the ocean through newly-made 

 faults or fractures. The greatest crustal heat is 

 conveyed to the water at the greatest ocean 

 depths; from this it follows that thj greatest 

 ocean currents should be formed among the vol- 

 canic islands. 



