The San Francisco call., 1906-07-15

Scientists are at present deepely in
terested in a bathymetrie map just is
sued, which clearly shows the actual
state Of our knowledge regarding ocean
depths and the outline or profile OF
submarine lands. The map, copies of
which have been received by several Of
san Francisco's more prominent geo.
graphical scholars, who unhesitatingly
pronounce II most valuable acquisf-
tion to scientific records, is the result
OF arduous work on the part Of the
photographer and oceangrapher of all
nations. That it has been made avail
able to scientists all over the world is
due to the generosity of the Prince of
Monaco. who undertook the expense of
the work, which was entirely beyond
the capacity Of the funds for such
purposes of any of the scientific bodies.
It is not generally realized that the
submarine lands are very like those IA
miliar TO US above the sea level. There
are '1and-Iocked" seas. or basins. which
are not apparent to the men who 'go
down to the sea in ships" nor to stu
dents who linger over the average map
TO be found in aliases; there are i'm
menSe plateaus or table lands, more ex-
tensive than any known on the land;
there are great mountain ranges. deep
canyons low valleys and waterways"
The immensity Of these features may
me suggested by a little arithmetic.
The superficial area Of the sea is two
and a half times that OF the land Sup
posing that the basin holding the seas
had been emptied at the beginning Of
the Christian era, and assuming that
some enormous river had been allowed
TO run into il at the rate Of 1893 cubic
yards a minute. the basin would stiIl
be untitled. as it would require a total
period OF 5000 years more before the
seas would attain their present level.
Late calculations give the volume of
the oceans as 1.347.S74S50 cubic kilo-
meters, or about sS.OOO.OOO cubic miles.
MEASURE OF OCEAN DEPTHS.
From the figures which show the
depths OF this vast basin there is much
food for reflection. The average depth
Of the ocean is about 1900 feet. some
thing more than two miles The aver
age height Of the land above sea level
is only 1000 feet From the lowest
depth found in the ocean to the ton of
the highest mountain known is a YER
tical distance of almost twelve miles
To grasp the full meaning Of this diff
ference in altitude let II again be SUP
posed that the great ocean basin is
emptied. Then. even If the race should
survive such catastrophe. the descent
OF the atmospheric envelope would
leave US IN a rarified stratum Of air in
which none could long survive and in
which the majority would Immediately
perish. Any person who has ascended
q mountain TO an elevation of a mile
or two can appreciate the conditions
which then would exist. To be sure
there would be a hasty emigration TO
the lower levels.
While the new bathymetric map is
by no means the first of its kind, 1t is
much more carefully plated than any
which has been at the service Of geo
graphers. It had its inception at the
meeting of the Geographical Congress
IN Berlin in 1899. a committee was
appointed to prepare and publish the
map, and much Of the work upon il
is due TO the researches of the Prince
OF Monaco and NJ. J. Thoulet, two of
the most prominent oceanographers of
modern times.
There is. as a matter of fact, no sense
Of 7nality about the new map. Indeed,
that is not possible. About a year ago
Rear Admiral Moore Of the British