Evening star., 1933-10-06
Smithsonian's Annual Res
ume Includes Results of
Coast Survey.
NORTH ATLANTIC NOW
IN AREA OF CONTINENT
Progress in Many Scientific Fields
Covered in Paper Issued
Today.
BY THOMAS r. HENRY.

The hypothesis Of an ancient North
ern Atlantis, whose great rivers de-
posted the sediment which formed the
upper crustal layers of the lands now
bordering the North Atlantic, is ad-
vanced by Prof. Albert ciilligan, noted
English geologist, in the annual report
Of the Smithsonian Institution, issued
today.
The concept Of land mass of con-
tinental proportions which existed at
least until the end Of the Carboniferous
geological period. approximately $780,
600, 900 million years ago, is necessary
to explain the rock formations of Scot
land, Scandinavia, Spitzbergen and
parts of North America, Prof. Gilligan
believes.
He attributed to this lost continent
however, no such dramatically sudden
disappearance beneath the sea as legend
provides for the Atlantis of Plato. to
slowly through many millions Of years
and fragment of it may have pro-
jected above water when the Norsemen
were making their earliest voyages to
Iceland and Greenland.
Three Miles Thick.
In Scotland and Norway, he points
out, there are great thickneSSes Of rock
dating from the pre- -Cambrian geological
period, more than a half billion years
ago. which are sedimentary in origin
and which mineralogical analysis shows
to be quite different from the under
lying ancient land surface. This lat
ter can be seen rising into hills 1000
feet high, with corresponding valleys
while the ancient sedimentary deposits
fill the hollows around the hills. The
evidence points to the greater part OF
pecially in Scotland, having been de-
rived from some area Of rock types diff
ferent from the older rocks of the
country upon which it rests Where it
is best developed it has total thick
ness of nearly miles. A somewhat
similar condition is found on the Ke-
neenawan Peninsula, in Michigan.
Through succeeding geological pc
RODS, when life was developing rapidly
on earth, there Is also much evidence
of the ancient continent, which Is es-
pecially strong at the time when the
famous "old red sandstone" deposits
were being laid down in Europe and
Northeastern North America. The
process continues through the Carbo-
niferous period, when the great coal
deposits we're being formed.
AS for the size of the "lost. continent,
Prof. Gilligan says:
Evidence Convincing.
"The present Mississippi, with its
tributaries drains an area the size OF
Europe, with the exception Of Russia
Norway and Sweden, and its delta
covers an area Of 12,300 square miles
The delta Is advancing about 262 feet
per year, and the amount OF detritus
brought down each year would build q
prism 268 feet high on the base and
having an area Of one square mile
The belt Of deposits surrounding the
North Atlantic and derived from the
ancient land mass would make up many
such deltas as that of the Mississippi
and correspondingly must the land mass
from which these were derived have ex-
ceeded that which has so far been laid
under contribution for the Mississippi
delta.
Summing up all the evidence, 1t ap-
pears to me convincing that the present
land masses surrounding the North At
lantic would not give us all that is re-
uuired in the type and amount OF Sedi-
ment, and therefore either these lands
must themselves be much extended be-
yond their present boundaries and these
extended areas consist Of different ma
terials from those which characterize
the present fragments, or there was an
actual continental area occupying the
whole Of the present North Atlantic
which has since broken up and foun-
dered."
The recent progress in many fields Of
science, from astronomy to archaeology
Is reviewed by distinguished authorities
in other papers which accompany the
Smithsonian report.
DR.. Charles G. Abbot secretary Of the
institution, describes the present status
Of investigations of solar radiation. upon
which the life Of the world depends, ano
upon the minute cyclic variations Of
which, it is believed, depends the worlds
weather. The total heat output Of the
sun for a year. DR.. Abbot points out
equals that which would be produced
by burning 400 ooo, 900 900 900, ,ooo, 900, ,oo(
tons Of coal.