New Britain herald., 1928-03-17
ME7E0R|7ES CAUSE
 V0LCAN0S IN EARTH
Generate Intense Heat, Creating
 Lava, D. B. Norton Says
tRy DAVID B. NORTOND


 iaorites striking world. and sinking into it's surface. and generating SC much heat by the force Of the im- pact that great quantities of lava are formed, Water is necessary also m causing volcanoes: because, al though great quantities Of lava might be formed by the heat gencr- ated by the impact Of the m"teorite, there would be very little volcanic action unless the lava absorbed Wa ter and changed into steam. For ihe most part 1T is the steam in the lava that causes volcanic eruptions We have the greatest volcanic action N here the volcanoes are situated Lear the ocean.
 Thousands of meteori'ss enter the atmosphere of the earth every day, bat most Of them burn up before they reach the ground. Many me teorites have been known to fall to the ground weighing several tons. The largest meteorite known to have faiisn fell at Coon Butte, Arizona. This meteorite was composed mostly of,peteroic iron. and had diameter Of between three and four hundred feet. This meteorite made crater between two and three hundred feet deep and having a diam eter Of more than half q mile. Pieces Of this neteorite were found scattered about the crater to a distance of five miles. The crater made by this rneteorite is below the general level of-.the surrounding plain, and IL ls spt1ounded by d ridge of rocks that were pushed to one side and thrust ID to . height of two or three hun dred feet. This crater. and the ridge that surrounds it, exactly resembles the craters of the moon, and the ridges and mountains that surround them.
 Those who have made a study of this subject estimate that this me teorite fell not longer ago than two thousand years. This meteorite ls thought to have had a velocity oi about five miles per second when it struck the earth. The impact ot
 
 this meteorite generated heat enough SO that there was some fusion oi the sandstorm rocks. If this meteor ite had had velocity of twenty miles or more per second. as many have, it would have generated heat enough to have caused small vol cano. Once in many thousands oi years much greater meteorites than this fall, and sometimes several fall al the same time, because they some times come in streams. Because ol the greater gravitational intensity of the earth, meteoriies that fall tc it have a higher velocity than those that fall upon the moon: and thf weight Of the rocks, being so mucl greater upon the. earth cause fh' meteorites to meet with far greatel resistence than they meet with IpoT the moon when having the same ve loci'y. All Of thi. causes meteorlt"' to generate far greater heat WhoI falling upon the earth than Wher falling upon the moon.
 Since l read my first book or
 
 astronomy, when boy, l have helG that the craters of the moon are the pit holes of fallen meteorites, but Prof. c. K. Gilbert was the -st ff publish such a theory in 1ss-. Thi: theory of Professor Gilberts i. known as the Bolide or Impact theory. Among professional astron- omers there are now many who be. lieve in this theory: but there are many who still hold to the old vol canic theory. When men are edu. cated 10 believe in certain way q new theory even when the eyi- dence is greatly in favor of it.
 If the craters of the moon were volcanic craters they would, In gen eral, be on the tops of mountains because that is the way they are here upon the earth, and there is no good reason to suppose that the laws governing volcanoes would hc different upon the moon than here If the cra'ers of the moon were vol. canic crdters they would be filled or nearly filled, with lava because that Is the way they are here upon the earth. The craters of the moor are sometimes three miles deep This would be impossible if they were volcanic traters There is not water enough upon the moon to sup port extensive volcanic action, and T, is certain that there never was more water there than now, there fore 'he volcanic theory is rcfutol by this alone.
 lf we corclude that tho Craters O. the moon are pit holes made b, ,allen meteorites. ac must conclud. also that great rncteorltes. as "ell q, small ones. must of necessity ogca. sionally strike the earth. This is 'h' exact truth. and the largest of 'hes. me'eorlteS that strike the earth. | they fall straight down, cause toi canoes by the heat that they geuor -'e by the impact
 Those interested in 'he study 0 yuicanoloEy should read the boo} entitled. "Noicanoes; What They Arr and What They Teach, hy Protes-o oI John W. Judd In support of uAa I have sad garItug volcanoes "ill give q few quotations from thi book. giving the number Of inc paf' Hi'h each quotation. have "a, many books on volcanoes. but Pro lessor Judd comes the nearest '' solving the problem of their caus' Of any writer that know O..
 Pages 24o-2ol: "Uh" old notioI that mountain chains are due to ; vertical upthrus' from below. tind' but little support when we come tt study with due care the portions e The rock masses comprising fh' ear'h's crust. On inc contrary ~' Ind that mountain ranges ar. usual ly carved out Ut the crushed an' crumpled edges Of strata which hay