Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1909-01-29
CAUSE OF QUAkES
Or. J. A. Udden Of Augustana Gives
Interesting Discussion Of the 0r.E4
igin Of the Disturbances.
OUTLINES NEW THEoRIl S
Addresses the Members of Reliance
Club of Grace Lutheran Church
at Pastors Home.

At a meeting of the Reliance club
of Grace Lutheran church last evening
at the home of Rev. l. o. Nothstein.
|627 Forty-fourth street, DR.. ]. A. I'd
den, professor of geology at Augustana
college, gave most interesting infor;
NAL talk on the cause of earthquakes.
DR.. Udden is an authority on all sub
jects pertaining to science, and is
quoted by all the leading scientific
journals of the country. He has made
a special study of earthquakes, and
while he does not claim TO be author
| ity for their cause, any theory he ad-
vances carries much weight. He ad-
vanced some new theories and thoughts
last evening which made his talk very
interesting.
Old Theory Abandoned.
He said that the old theory or idea
| that earthquakes were caused by d
break in the earth's surface through
which the sea water poured, causing
steam and explosions, lifting up the
earth's surface in earthquakes, is now
almost entirely abandoned by present
day scientists. By many it is thought
| that the interior of the earth is not a
red hot molten mass, but that it is
very nearly solid, and that the lava
that escapes from volcanoes is depos-
| tied only in pockets. The present day
theory is that earthquakes are caused
by the gradual slipping down or sink
| ing of the heaviest portions or area of
the earth's surface, especially und or
| the ocean. What makes certain areas
| heaSier than others is not known, but
| it is supposed that continents have
been formed in this way. Beneath the
earth's surface some sc miles down
the pressure is so great that the mat
| ter is like wax or tar, and moves, that
material rising and falling as the pres
sure is increased or diminished. There
| is line of breakage along the coasts
of all continents, and here it is that
volcanoes are found and earthquakes
occur. The slipping down of the earth's
surface is sufficient to cause friction
enough to melt the rocks, causing
lava, which is forced up by the steam
in the melting of rocks.
| Volcanoes Not Connected.
\ This lava is deposited in pockets
(which are in no way connected, as. is
shown by the fact that on examining
| lava taken from various volcanoes in
| different parts of the world, their H.
orr
,ttists, however, hold that the sea water
,Imay get into these pockets and thus
cause erptions of volcanoes. 1t is
known that earthquakes cannot orig
mate 80 miles below the surface, as
there the rocks are pressed together
that the temperature increases toward
the ceHter of the earth 1t is known
too, that there is sphere or core in
the earth's center occupying about
two-fifth of the diameter, and through
this core no earthquake waves car
pass.
This is demonstrated by the fact
that the seismograph will not record
Earthquake waves on the opposite side
of the earth from where the quake oc
ours: however, further up on the sur
face the instrument will faithfully
record any disturbance.
DR.. Udden's talk was preceded b,
a business session, and during the ev
ening refreshments were served anC
a social hour passed.
|