Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-09-13
(Rv Science Service)

VIZ ASHINGION.-In devastating edllh-
wv quake in Japan undoubtedly original
W ed in part in the sea off the coast of
that island empire, Prof. Andrew e. Lawson,
of the University of California, who/has just
come to Washington to head the national
research councils division on geology and
geography, said today to Science Service
representative.
A great break in the ocean bottom oc-
Cured allowing one side to slip past the
other and drop for probably dozen feet
carrying with it many millions OF tons OF
sea water. The ocean rushing into the va
Gated space set up the so-called tidal waves
that, oscillating back and forth like water
in a tub, swept the Japanese coast, DR.. Law
son explained. The violent shaking of the
earth that caused destruction and started the
fires was a result of the slipping of two
portions of the earths crust past each other.
The extremely deep portions of the oceans
seem to be associated with the areas where
earthquakes are most frequent, Prof. Law
son pointed out Just off the east coast OF
Japan is long depression in the ocean
floor called the "Tuscarora deep" Similar
depths of the sea, found off Chile the Phil
ippines Jamaica and the Aleutian Islands in
Alaska are regions where earthquakes are
frequent.
Earthquakes occur when strains in the
earths crust become too great and find re-
lief in slips and breaks Prof. Lawson said.
He Iikened the crust to a board that when
stressed by a weight will finally give way
with sudden crash. The rocks of the earth
are elastic like steel and will stand GER
tain amount of strain before they are re-
lieved by sudden movement.
japan is noted for the progressive piling
up of strains that result in earthquakes.
Prof. Lawson recalled the quake of 1891
in Japan that left an abrupt cliff as high as
eighteen feet in some parts of the zone.
Scientists know that there are various re-
gions of the world, like Japan, the coast of
CoI; fha CT 10 nd Now
Zealand, where the earths surface is unsta-
BILE and where adjustments are now in prog
ress.
Eventually it may be possible for scien-
lists to predict earthquakes, Prof. Lawson
believes. Extensive Investigations are now
under way by the United States coast and
geodetic survey in California that show that
there is crystal creep there of about three
feet in ten years relatively to the Sierra
Nevadas. Several years ago the national re-
search council pointed out the need OF sells
mologic study and the Carnegie Institution
with the cooperation of other scientific
bodies is making an intensive study of Cal
ifornia, which was selected because of the
work previously done on the San francisco
earthquake of 1906. The United States coast
and geodetic survey has had survey parties
in the field for the last two years to deter
mine the rate of movement there Prof.
Lawson considers this slow displacement as
a strain creep, which accumulates till relief
l.; effected by a sudden slip or rupture In
the earth's crust.
"After years more of such research" said
Prof. Lawson. 81 believe that it may be pos
sible to predict about when the strains that
are indicated by these movements will be
released and cause an earthquake, but
exact prediction is not likely to be OBTAINED.
We cannot draw conclusions from our
present data because we do not know how
earthquakes, often very slight in one part
of the area, affect the strains in another
Part"
The deep-seated reason for earthquakes
remains a mystery to science. The most
plausible theory, ACCORDING to Prof. Lawson,
is that deep in the earth the rocks, while