Caimes — Some Suggested New Physiographic Terms. 75 



Art. VIII. — Some Suggested JSleto Physiographic Terms /* 

 by DeLorme D. Cairnes. 



Table of Cqntents. 



Introductory. 



Definition of Terms. 



Classification of Physiographic Processes. 



Equiplanation. 



Deplanation. 



Applanation. 



Conclusion. 



Introductory. 



The introduction of a new scientific term is only justified 

 when there is good reason to believe that its use will promote 

 the special branch of science to which the term has reference. 

 There is a somewhat widespread tendency to-day to over- 

 burden our technical vocabularies with long words of uncouth 

 sound which are difficult not only to remember but also to 

 pronounce, and which apparently serve mainly to complicate 

 rather than simplify the study of the subject into which they 

 are admitted. Instead of rendering the study of any particu- 

 lar branch of science unduly difficult, our endeavor should be 

 to promote simplicity and clearness both in thought and 

 expression. It is desirable, however, that a sufficient number 

 of technical terms should be employed to allow of the concise 

 and accurate description of the various phenomena to be con- 

 sidered. Whenever a fundamental distinction is recognized 

 between processes, forces, or agents, which may be very dif- 

 ferent in their nature, and still may or may not tend to pro- 

 duce results that are easily confused, it promotes clearness of 

 conception to employ definite terms to indicate the nice dis- 

 tinctions that have been found to exist. 



Physiography is one of the most rapidly growing of the 

 more youthful branches of science, and has, so far, fortunately 

 escaped any considerable overcrowding of its vocabulary. In 

 fact the greater number, if not all of the terms that have been 

 suggested within the past few years, have been greatly bene- 

 ficial in that they have added to our knowledge of the subject, 

 and have materially helped to clarify our ideas concerning the 

 various phenomena with which they are concerned. Among 

 the more important of the terms that have been recently 

 introduced mightbe mentioned, — nivation,f topographic uncon- 



* By permission of the Director of the Geological Survey branch of the 

 Department of Mines of Canada. 



t The term nivation was proposed by F. E. Matthes in 1899, and has since 

 been described by Hobbs and others. See : — Matthes, F. E., " Glacial Sculp- 

 ture in the Bighorn Mts., Wyo." ; Twenty -first Ann. Eep. U. S. Geol. Sur- 

 vey, Pt. II, 1899, pp. 173-190. Hobbs, W. H., "Characteristics of existing 

 glaciers," 1911, pp. 18-23. 



