Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1913-11-29
UNDER THE OCEAN
Changes In the Sea Floor From
Shore to Shore.
THE BIG MlD-ATLANTIC RIDGE.
II Starts at Iceland and 6iseets the
Ocean Down Almost 10 Cape Horn.
In Places II Rises Above the Surface.
Forming Groups Of Islands.

In Places II Rises Above the Surface.
Forming Groups Of Islands.
\ sketch OF the Landscape" Of the
ocean bed is given by Dr. A. l.. Ship
ley in an article in the Edinburgh Re
view:
The passengers and the crew OF a
liner racing over the surface of the
Atlantic are apt to imagine that under
them is a vast layer OF water OF vary.
ing depth sparsely inhabited by few
fish As matter OF fact. the whole OF
this great ocean is teeming with life
II instead OF taking ship we could take
TO the water and walk across the bed
Of the Atlantic 10 America. starting
from the shores OF western Europe. we
should in effect be travelling through u
succession OF new countries. Not only
would the surrounding physical condi-
lions vary rs we advanced. but the
animal and plant lie would vary in
correlation with the altering physical
conditions
" AtAAAAttA tfAth AAAti WV "
the depths OF the Atlantic. we should
soon lose all sight Of the algae. and the
shallow water fish-the plaice and sole.
whiting. skates. dogiish and others and
cod-would give way 10 the megrim
and the bake The sea floor would
gradually change from rock or gravel
or stones to sands and ultimately 10
mud or ooZes OF various tints. their
original colors often modified by the
action of the decomposition OF organic
particles in them ana on them All
these finer deposits are derived from
the neighboring land and are blown
SEWARD by oifshorc winds or washed
down 10y rains and streams and carried
out to the sea hy rivers.
The distance to which fine matter In
suspension may be carried Is very
great The konso is said TO carry its
Characteristic mud rs far out 10 sea as
coo miles. and the Gauges and the
Indus rs far as 1000 miles
Except In the neighhorhood of such
great rivers a subaqueous traveller
would soon pass beyond what Sir John
Murray has called the mud line. n
line that limits the terrigenous deposits
everywhere surrounding dry land
Having reached this limit. we must
proceed warily. for at the mud line.
at an average depth Of hundred
fathoms. We shall find ourselves ut the
edge of the continental shelf that rim
which extends seaward 10 varying
distance from all land areas. the rim
on which Great Britain rests Beyond
lies the continental slope. preclpice
more or less abrupt and more or less
high. descending by steep declines or
terraced cliffs until depths of 1000
fathoms are reached
The Atlantic. compared with the
other great oceans. has an unusually
large area OF comparatively shallow
water OF its total area 27.5 per cent
is covered by water less than l.O00
fathoms deep: is per cent lies between
1000 and 1000 fathoms and a. per cent
between 1000 and 5000 fatlpoms: the
remaining rs per cent Is still deeper
"At the foot Of the continental slope
lies an illimitable plain of uniform
dull. grayish buff color fiat aud fea.
tureless ms the desert. ana only diversi.
fed by an occasional as yet uncovered
rock or wreck or the straight line Of
recently laid cable This plain con
tinues with scarcely change In seen.
cry or in level until we approach the
great mid-Atlantic ridge. As Bruce
has shown. this ridge. which roughly
blsects the Atlantic. extends from Ice.
land as far south as ffty-thrce degrees
OF south latitude. with n slight and
quite inexplicable break inst under the
equator The ridge runs almost parallel
with the eastern contour OF North and
South America. which. In turn. as the
ordinary map will show. roughly cor.
responds with the western contour OF
Europe and Africa. From time 10 time
the ridge rises above the surface OF the
water. as in the Azores group. ST
Paul's rocks. stension. Tristan d.
Cunha aud Cough island
Having ascendcd the eastern and
descended the western slope ~ this
mld-Atlantlc ridge. we should again
traverse plains Of grayish ooze far
more extensive than any level land
tract known 10 geographers. and ms we
approached the American coast we
should gradually pass through. in re.
verse order. the zones OF life traversec
when leaving Europe. On the eastern
coast OF America the slope is much
more gradual than on the western
coast OF southern Europe and Africa "
go A. -.L