Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1869-09-15
Volcanoes and their Influence upon the
Earth.

Prof Guyot read paper upon voloa-
noes, before the National Academy of
Science, in session at Northampton last
week. His subject was the arrangement
of Volcanoes on the Earth, and their Infu-
ence on our Globe" He described the
manner in which the volcanoes of the earth
are systematically arranged in two great
zones or belts of about thirty degrees
breadth. Both of these zones, he showed,
followed the lines where the crust of the
earth Was, so to say, cracked by the upris-
ing of the great continents. Illustrating
his new and most interesting collocation
by the aid of globe, he traced the
first zone from the southern extremity OF
our continent along the western coast, fol-
lowing the line of the Andes, then through
Central America, with its closely ranged
mountains of fire, and went parallel to the
Rocky Mountains up to the northernmost
regions. Thence he pointed out the vol
canic range of the Aleutian Islands, con-
tinuing almost without interruption along
the eastern coast of Asia, Japan, and the
adjoining islands of the south down to New
Zealand. This zone, he stated, contained
over three hundred of the whole number of
volcanoes known to us since Tuchs has
raised it from four hundred, mentioned by
Humboldt in his Kosmos to five hundred
and seyenty-two.
The other zone, which he called the CEN
trail zone, followed line starting from Beh-
rings Strait at distance of somewhat less
than meridian, around the globe. from the
Mexican group through the West India ISL
ands, cutting through the Mediterranean SO
as to touch Mount Etna and Vesuvius, and
then through Central Asia, with its partly
vet unexplored volcanoes. Wherever the
two zones intersect each other the number
of volcanoes was shown to be unusually
great. Both together contain fully five
sixths of the whole number known, and
thus prove conclusively the truth of the
learned professors new theory. The re-
naming volcanoes are apparently isolated,
but the presumption is that, when We be.
come more familiar with the comparatively
unknown regions in which they are situat-
ed, they will be found to lie i'll groups OF
zones dependent upona similar disturbance
in the earth's crust.
For to such disturbance Guyot ascribe6
the origin of all volcanoes, determined the
period of their origin as the tertiary long
after the Himalaya, the Alps and the Andes
had been formed. He asserted his convic
ton that the earths crust was but yer,
thin; that after the uprising of the cont
nents and great islands by the more RAPID
contraction of the inner parts the QUITE
part became too large and cracked, open
ing great assures; that through these aper
lures water salt water or fresh-percolat
ed deep enough to meet the intense hea
in the interior, to be there converted int
steam, and then TO force its wa,
back to the surface by melting the inter
vening materials, so as to throw up lava
ashes or vapor, and to raise the crust in tn
process, till huge craters were formed. 1
was natural consequence OF his theor
that these tremendous disturbances shout,
occur most frequently and most regularly
wherever the crust of the earth was as
were fractured at the edge of great cont
nents; but as in other parts of the glob
also powerful upheavings have taken place
volcanic action has been of work there also
and this accounts for the existence of az
parently isolated volcanoes.
Professor Guyots paper was listened
with deep interest by the members of tn
academy, and followed with breathless al
tentiOn by the visitors. Ii elected shoi
but lively debate, during which the presid
ing officer succeeded in bringing some ad
1itional points of interest to light, Will
Gen. Barnard, United States Engineers
produced quite a sensation by declaring hi
conviction that the theory of thin crus
|, of tie earth was erroneous, and that 81
!. William Thompson had proved, to his ON
satisfaction at least, that the earth was,
the very least, two thousand miles thicl
and of a solidity superior to steel. lie j
, Illustrated this view by diagrams on I'll
blackboard, and, although far from bein
: as lucid and happy in his explanations 4
Professor Guyot, succeeded in making
very effective speech.