Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1907-12-07
THE EARTH'S INTERIOR
Our Planets Core Is Liquid, Ye'
It's as Rigid as Steel.
UNDER ENORMOUS PRESSURE

Neither Rock Nor Metal Could hema'"
There In the State In Which We SEQ
II on the Surface-The Lava That
Breaks Through the Earth's Crust =
The idea that the interior Of the globe
Is composed Of flowing lava has long
since been abandoned, but the picture
that modern science offers OF the IN
side of the earth is hardly less ap-
palling. All Investigations unite 10
prove that the heat increases as we de-
scend deeper In the terrestrial crust
at such a rate that forty or tfty miles
down no substance with which we are
acquainted could remain unmelted. Ana
vet the same science tells us that inc
core Of the globe Is enormously more
rigid than the hardest steel. This ap-
narent contradiction Is due to the ire
mendous pressure inside the earth. NO
rock and no metal can remain there IN
the state in which we see 1t on the sur
face. It's molecules must lose the al
florence characteristic OF solid bodies
in consequence of the heat, but SUN
they are not free to flow like an ordi-
nary LIQUID. because OF the compression
to which they are subjected.
The phenomena Of earthquakes nave
given wonderful information about the
internal state OF the globe. All Cd
servations show that the shocks OF
earthquakes are confined to thin up
per shell. They originate at deptn
of only a few miles at the most. But
the vibrations which they set going
are felt all through the earth, often ex-
tending to the antipodes. The great
core. held rigid by the pressure, Is ex-
tremelv elastic, and 1t responds 10
shock like q ball of steel or Of glass.
The density of the earth Increases To-
ward the center. 1t is only In the up
ner mart of the crust that local move
ments can take place, causing shocks
and changes Of level at the SURFACE.
Deeper down everything is gripped and
: immovable, except, as already re-
= marked. that the molecules OF the rocks
and metals there are subject to vibra-
: t,on like those Of bell against which
. q blow Is struck.
= Rut this is not all. Whenever local
:. release from the pressure Is brought
: about by changes near the SURFACE tne
notentiallv LIQUID but effectually solid
!! core at that point may suddenly be
" come fluid and gush forth through
volcanic throat or other vent. bu
such effects cannot extend to any grea
depth. Nothing comes to US from th'
vast interior mass. That remains
g. perpetual mystery, far beyond TN
u searching hand Of science. Indirectly
as however. we may learn much about II
s. astronomical considerations throw
lg great deal of light upon the subject
III We see that through the planetary sys
d tenn rotating globes are fattened al IN
OF noles The same thing Is true OF IN
1g eorth Its equator bulges; Its pola
OF regions are drawn inward. Mechal
no ,cal laws assure US that the cause
III 70 be found in the fact that the cart
ty and the other planets have assume
'ct shane under the influence OF the cei
'st trifugal force Of their rotation. Ins
as force ia necessarily greatest at III
equator. Beginning as completed mo
1g, ton bodies. they have commenced TO s
II Iidify at the surface after having a
summed an EDITORIAL form due to tne
rotation.
10 Another very significant fact Is IN
ei' the shape of the earth corresponds WI
re- that which a globe rotating WIN
ne velocity would have II composed
the materials arranged to their density
zea that is to say, growing denser iowa
OF the center. The heaviest materia
gel must be deep down in the globe; {
lighter materials have remained at I
'au surface. This again corresponds WI
lro, the facts of observation. we knC
nau the total weight" and the avera
am density Of the earth. 1t weighs
luls sextilllons of tons, and Its avera
10 density Is five and half times that
water But the substances COMPOSE
the crust Of the earth have an avera
density of twice that Of water
" follows that the heaviest things In
1ing earth. on the average, exist deep WI
sug- IN ,ts exterior. For all that we
The tell its inner core may be wholly I
has tsI,,c At the center there Is proDa
OPP an enormous aggregation OF dense
"o tallic substances.
.igh- Az indication that the inner parts
fifty the earth consist largely If not mai
pet or iron is to be found In the m
does netism OF the globe. The earth Il
tain great permanent magnet. II we co
pate. learn the facts 1t might turn out l
de- iron IS the most abundant substa
VIII in the solar system and perhaps
arity the whole universe. The majority
y or tho meteorites that fall upon the ca
,xag- consist of solid iron. Blow the ee
may TO pieces and In the resulting CT
nfu- NJ fra gments the rocks that we
criti- familiar with would be almost III
sus' centible. There would be a rain
ndon iron and other metals descending u
the moon and upon any other attr
ing body In the vicinity.
This view Of the interior OF
at IN globe disposes Of the notion, SO pic
On or esouely developed In one OF j
o use Vernes romances. Of the existenc
rable roo+ cavernous openings in the
le on rior of the earth. Such void spi
clean +houob on no large scale, may
,lored IN tho MINER part of the crust, but
sked: at a great depth. The earth is
fectively more solid than a cal
IT err hou and the movable rocks con-
ing its crust are like film Of rus
I'M the hard metal.-Professor Carer
ywine serviss in New York American.
ary to "
clean Not Business.
=" Two highland farmers met on
way to church.