New-York tribune., 1919-03-02


choose more promising career
than that of volcanologist, according to
Calvin Frazer, writing in Popular
Science Monthly" "There are brilliant
discoveries to be made and the field is
not bit crowded."
However, the aspiring volcanologist
must, we learn, be in possession of GER
tain attributes before he can hope to
attain success. These are "an aptitude
for scientific research, the physique to
endure rough mountaineering and the
courage to face the risk of being en-
quilted in the fiery lava"
Touching upon the general lack of
knowledge in regard to volcanoes Mr..
Frazer says: "Our grandfathers knew a
great deal more about volcanoes than
we do, but what they knew was nearly
all wrong They declared that the in
terror of the globe was molten mass
1t is almost certainly dense solid, more
rigid than steel" And the facts which
prove this, he says, are cts weight (as
determined by astronomers), the way it
transmits earthquake waves, the resist
ance it offers to the dstortng effect of
the suns and the moons attraction, etc
D,,k +lxo .,1t1 g h.. .,~.Il E..
we can determine, is so intensely hot
that if at any place far below the sur
face the stupendous crushing force of
the rocks above is, by any means, some
what reduced, the solid must change to
a liquid, or even gas"
How earth tides cause eruptions is
thus described:
"Various circumstances do, in fact, bring
about an easing up OF this pressure here
and there and from time to time. The whole
globe is shrinking as it coo!s, and its sur
face is warped into folds and creases More
over, there are regular tides in the. earth's
crust-a rise and fall Of about foot. on
an average, twice day. These things cause
variations in pressure underneath, and the
melting OF deep seated rocks probably takes
place on vast scale. II is only OCCASION
ally, however, that little Of the liquid rock
known as magma rises to the surface and
gives US a volcanic eruption.
"ftnw doaa ~, ~. n
That is one of the things we do not know
ABOUT volcanoes, but We have strong sus-
picion that What happens is this: Imagine a
large mass OF melted rock miles under
ground 1t is subject to tidal and other
stresses, pressing it this way and that. In
tne brittle crust Of the earth there are many
hssures, through which the magma will be
squeezed out FAR as possible. Suppose
one OF these fssurcs directly upward TO
be nearly filed with the magma. Through
the magma z.ream gases, generated from the
more volatile elements of the rocks and
these gases accumulate at the tor Of the
coiumn, where they arc under such great
pressure tnat they become excessively hot
according 10 q well known law OF phvsics
~ is probably this hot gas which, by melt
ing the adjacent rock, cats its way through
inc strata, forming vent for tho magma
The iiqutd rock may come forth in "a quiet
now at the earth's surface, ~ in the case
OF the volcanoes Of Kiiauca and Mauna Loa.
IN HAWAII, or IL may burst forth in great
explosion. The explosive effect is probably
much intensified by the presence Of steam.
Specimens Of volcanic gss collected in tkc
crater of K'lauea and pumped from the
lava into collecting tubes without coming
In contact with the air we're found 10 be
heavily charged with steam.
"Csn the eruptlons of other volcanoes he
predicted? If 30, then voIcsnoogy il one
sf tke rnost important Of the sciences in