THE 
AMERICAN GEOLOGIST 
Vol. I. MARCH, 1888. No. 
SOME EFFECT OF PRESSURE OF A CONTINENTAL 
GLACIER.' 
BY ALEXANDER WINCIIELI,. 
The terrestrial globe in some of its behavior, may be com- 
pared to an India rubber ball filled with water. If indented by 
. pressure in one place, there must be a jDrotubcrance equal in 
Tolume in another place. In a ball of uniform composition, the 
protuberance would be spread over the entire surface beyond 
the region indented, and the effect in one particular spot might 
be insignificant. Should a small area of the caoutchouc be 
thinner than the rest, that part would be protruded to a greater 
extent than other parts of the surface. Should there be small 
holes or fissures through it, the water would escape and flow 
over the surface. That is, the protuberance resulting from 
local pressure would be chiefly on the outside of the shell. 
As we ordinarily conceive it the water would be squeezed out 
— like the juice of a squeezed orange. 
The analogy of the earth does not depend on the theory of a 
molten interior beneath a solid crust. Whatever weight or 
force is adquate to indent the world's exterior develops, by 
crushing mechanical action, heat enough to fuse the rocks and 
supply liquid material. The amount supplied is proportioned 
to the magnitude of the action. It is generally admitted that 
ocean sediments accumulated on a large scale, have in many 
cases, produced a subsidence of the bottom on which they rest. 
In some cases, we can point out the regions elevated as the 
counterpart to the subsidence. I think in some cases, we may 
' The views here enunciated were published in the University Argo- 
naut in March, 1886. 
