The Washington herald., 1906-12-30
REASON FOR 'OUAKES
Prof. See Says Steam Under
Earth Causes Upheaval.
RESULTS IN VOLCANOES, TOO
Mountains Are Formed by Shaking
Of the Terrestrial Crust to Obtain
Relief from Pressure BeIow-Great
Tidal Waves Follow the Drawing
of Water Into Depression Left.

Prof. Thomas J. ]. See, L. S. N, as
tronomer at Mare Island Naval Observa-
tory. has advanced new views on the
cause of earthquakes. He is one Of the
leading members Of the chronological So
ciety Of America-recently organized in
San Francisco.
He says. Earthquakes are due TO the
development Of steam pressure just I'M
der the earth's crust chiefly by the
penetration Of sea water from the leakage
Of the ocean beds. The earth has a tenn
peratuTe Of about 1900 degrees at depth
of twenty miles. and when the steam
pressure ten or fifteen miles deep has
become great enough it shakes the crust
and obtains relief at the margins Of the
sea by the pushing up Of mountains. All
mountain chains are formed in this way,
and that is why they are always parallel
TO the seashore.
volcanoes and earthquakes are due to
the same cause. The volcanoes are dis
tributed around the margins of the sea,
or on islands In the sea, and never occur
more than 100 miles from large bodies
Of water The absence Of active vol
capoes from the interior of continents
shows that they depend directly on the
sea. This is also shown by the fact that
practically all the vapor they emit is
steam.
Volcanoes Prevent Earthquakes.
Earthquakes are due 10 the same
vapor. because they cease when the
eruption Of the volcano has given relief
TO the pent-up vapor.
In case there is no volcano, relief is
afforded by the movement OF a fault,
which gives more space for the adjust
ment Of the lava beneath the earths
crust"
Prof. See denies that the mountains
are formed by the shrinkage Of the
earth. as taught in most books on
geology They are formed. he says. by
expulsion Of steam-saturated lava from
under the margins Of the sea, and that is
why the earth's crust is upheaved 70
form mountains exactly parallel 70 the
seashore, as in the case Of the Andes.
The expulsion OF the lava from under
the sea gives rise 10 earthquakes, and
the movement Of faults, yet the move
I a
quake, but is the effect Of a strain which
gives rise 10 the upheaval.
When sufficient lava inflated with steam
Is expelled from under the sea in the
formation Of mountains. the support OF
the sea bottom is thinned out and weak
ened. and at intervals it subsidies.
This occurs when the earth has been
shaken by great earthquake. and the
water near the shore is drained away 20
hn up the sink When the currents meet
in the center they raise a ridge in the
sea, and the collapse Of this great aqueous
ridge sends a great wave ashore. Thus
arise the great sea waves which so fire.
quently accompany violent earthquakes.
and sometimes are more disastrous than
the earthquakes themselves.
Geodetic observations for almost 80
years have shown that mountains exert a
/ feeble attraction as If they were hollow.
| They are not hollow, but filled with
pumice. which is lava inflated with steam
and dried. Vast quantities Of this porous
/ rock IS blown out Of those mountains.
which break out as volcanoes. Ground-up
/ pumice makes volcanic dust
Sea Bottom Il sinking.
Plateaus and islands are raised in the
/ same way as mountains Near islands.
| depressions in the sea bottom frequently
| occur.
The sea bottom has been undermined in
raising the Islands. and has afterward
sunk. The deep sea trough along the
west coast Of South America has been
/ formed by the expulsion Of lava in rails
+ ing the Andes and the subsequent sink
/ ing Of the ocean bed, accompanied by
earthquake waves, such as occurred at
africa in 1865. and Iquique in 1877.
! DR.. See holds that earthquakes may
| always be expected along any coast near
deep sea. because the great pressure
arising from the depth of the ocean
/ forces water down into the earth.
| Thus the sea near the west coast OF
| South America Is nearly five miles deep.
and the result is terrible earthquakes
and sea waves in that region. The east
/ ern coast Of America and Northern
/ Europe have shallow water. and are
| comparatively free from earthquakes. but
not wholly so.
| Prof See is an eminent mathematician
and astronomer, with degrees from the
/ University Of Missouri and OF Berlin Uni
versity.
/ He was one of the organizers OF the
! Yerkes observatory Of the Chicago Uni
versity. and for some years in charge OF
the great equatorial at the United States
I Naval Observe 4rr-x-