Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1869-09-15
Volcanoes and their Influence upon the
Earth


Prof. Guyot read paper upon volca-
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 a 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 it's 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 seventy-two.
The other zone, which he called the CEN
trail zone, followed line starting from Beh-
rings Strait at O 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-
manning 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 IN groups or
zones dependent upona similar disturbance
in the earth's crust.
For to such disturbance Guyot ascribed
the origin of all volcanoes, determined the
period of their origin as the tertiary loFg
after the Himalaya, the Alps and the Andes
had been formed He asserted his convic-
ton that the earth's crust was but very
thin; that after the uprising of the CONT
nents and great islands by the more rapid
contraction of the inner parts the outer
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 heat
in the interior, to be there converted into
steam, and then to force its way
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 the
process, till huge craters were formed. 1t
was q natural consequence of his theory
that these tremendous disturbances should
occur most frequently and most regularly,
wherever the crust Of the earth was as it
were fractured at the edge of great CONT
nents; but as in other parts OF the globe
also powerful upheavings have taken place,
volcanic action has been at work there also,
and this accounts for the existence Of APP
parently isolated volcanoes.
Professor Guyot's paper was listened to
with deep interest by the members of the
academy, and followed with breathless at
tention by the visitors. It elected short
but lively debate, during which the presid,
ing officer succeeded in bringing some ad-
ditional points of interest to light, while
Gen. Barnard, United States Engineers,
produced quite sensation by declaring his
conviction that the theory Of 81 thin crust
of the earth was erroneous, and that Sn
| William Thompson had proved, to his OWL
satisfaction at least, that the earth was, al
the very least, two thousand miles thick,
and of a solidity superior to steel. He IL
Illustrated this view by diagrams on the
blackboard, and, although far from being
as lucid and happy in his explanations as
| Professor Guyot. succeeded in making :
very effective speech.