The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1888-05-17
UTILITY OF VOLCANOES.
Tho Puivcrixed Material which They
Throw Ont of Value to the Soil.


Throw Ont of Value to the Soil.
The solid matter thrown out by vol
canoes Is the most important contribu
ton to the materials which tho sea has at
its disposal for the nourishment of its
life and for the formation of strata. The
quantity of the pumiceous and finely
pulverized material is enormous. When
IL falls upon the sea IL either floats for q
time or ut once sinks into the depths. In
either case 1t is. to a great extent, dis
solved in the ocean waters, and 30 con-
tributes to the store Of materials which
may be appropriated by the organic life
of the sea. When it falls on tic land. il
is generally so incohcrent that IL is easily
swept away by the rains, and so comes
quickly into the ocean. Tho importance
of this contribution to marina sediments
has been overlooked by geoloHsts, but it
/ Is easy TO SEQ that IL may amoqnt In mass
| to something like os much astho earthly
matter which Is brought 10 the sea by
| the rivera
| The volcanoes of the Java district alone
within century throws out mass of
| this fragmentary rock amounting proba-
| bly, to not less than 100 cubic miles, and
. w NNlNO tiiio ANpNY AiA'
Mississippi river carries out in the form
! Of dissolved matter, mud and sand about
one cubic mile in twenty years, or five
cubic miles in a century; thus these vol
canoes Of the Java district have brought
up from the depth Of the earth and con-
tributcd to the sea many times as much
detritus as has been conveyed TO the
ocean by the greatest river in North
America. Allowing for the greater poros-
ity of the volcanic dust Il stil seems not
unlikely that the elections from n half
dozen great volcanoes of the East Indian
archipelago, in period Of little more
than n century. from 1772 TO 1883, far
exceeded that brought into The ocean by
all the rivers of North America in tho
same period.
Although the volcanoes of this district
are by far the most powerful which are
known. we still cannot fairly reckon that
their elections represent anywhere near
the half of the total quantity which came
to the earth's surface from such vents
during the above named period of III
years. For during this time some scores
of great craters were in eruption, includ-
ing Skaptar, in Iceland, Vesuvius, Etna,
various volcanoes in South Auierica and
elsewhere. IL seems, therefore, not un-
likely that the solid material contributed
by volcanoes 60 the sea h9or may, on the
average, amount TO as much as that taken
by the rivers from the land.
Among the solid substances which are
elected by volcanoes we find some of the
most indispensable elements of organic
life, including phosphorus, soda, potash
and other materials. The value of these
? tos.-.-. "a IA. Gietia7 my be judged
by the fertility which - ~ cha'Dfer.
ICES the regions in the INN a,nie vicinity
of Volcanic coues whicl. -
amounts of ashsl ,rain ,,o
cient this ash quNly 20 the ] INC :.
reli So rabort which ,o cIs fast thcy
- - rqvaced bv tae. explossll,O,nr, Were It
not for the constant y e.an s.fa these
rarer and precious materials 10 L., .foa
perilcial part of the ca 10y means OF
volcanic action, it is likely that tho
earth's surface would want many Of tho
substances most necessary for organic
life. We thus sec that volcanoes play
very important part i'll the physical his
tory Of our planet. Tho action is, in u
large degree, restorative They help to
maintain the carth's surface in n condi-
ton in which it may nurture life.-Cin-
cinnati Commercial Gazette.