Evening star., 1933-07-30
BEATS Of EARTH
LIKE CLOCK TICKS
German Tells Geological Con.
qress of Phenomena
Giving Time Ranges.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

There are earth pulses" whose regu-
lar beats can be used to determine the
duration of time, DR.. Axel Born, noted
German geologist, told the international
Geological Congress at It's closing meet
ing here yesterday.
One of these is Germany's great coal
and iron center, the Ruhr Valley. Dr..
Born's studies show that this area in
| the past has been above and below sea
level once on an average Of every 50,-
900 years. Another Is Northern Europe
in general. which has risen above and
dropped below sea level approximately
every 400. 900 years.
These elevations and submersions he
designates as epeirogenic cycles. They
take place in regions where there is q
special Instability in the earth's crust.
There de probably several such places
in North America, DR.. Born said. Each
place where cycle can be established
serves as clock for some geological
period since the crust of the earth
hardened. The Ruhr region, where his
studies have been most concentrated,
serves as a carboniferous clock. giving
data on what happened while the great
coal beds were being laid down.
Rapid Near Mountains.
The rising and falling IS shown by
layers of rock containing sea life fos-
sils interspersed with rocks undoubtedly
of land origin. These pulsations, he
said, appear most rapid in the imme-
diate neighborhood of great mountain
systems like the Alps, although they do
not affect the mountains themselves
The times as checked by these pulsa-
ton clocks are very similar to those
shown by the lead accumulations from
the disintegration Of radioactive min
erals where they can be found in gran
ite blocks which have intruded into the
Sedimentary rocks. Eventually, the
German geologist believes, it may be
possible to establish the duration of
time about as accurately by this method
as by uranium disintegration itself.
From both methods, he said. the
length of time since the crust of the
earth hardened appears to be about
billion years.
The cycles of these continental ris-
ings and fallings, he said, apparently
are enttely independent from the great
cycles of mountain building, one Of
which extends over about $50, ,00O, 900
years, which have been explained be-
fore the congress by other German
geologtsts.
Rythms Established.
The outstanding note of the whole
congress has been the establishment
of various rythms for geological events.
indicating that the behavior of the
earth is governed by well established
laws, the nature of which Is unknown
Approximately 100 American and
foreign geologists left Washington last
night for a tranScontinental tour, dur
ing which they will study the structure
Of the North American continent as
shown by its various physical features.
They are going to St. Louis by special
train over the B. g. O.. with an in
novation in railroad travel consisting
of two baggage car laboratories and
bath cars. This is believed to be the
first time that shower baths have been
provided on a moving train. The lab
oratories are fully equipped so that the
geologists will be able to make rough
analyses Of specimens they collect from
day to day.
At St. Louis they will split into two
parties, one going to the Pacific by the
Northern and the other by the South
ern route. Special attention viii be
paid to such unique geological fea-
lures as the Great Salt Lake and the
Grand Canyon. The party will return
to Chicago, where they will break up,
late in August.