Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1956-02-03

1t results from the finding
quake whisper" a weak quake
generated shock wave which
moves at a velocity of about
three miles a second. but only
through continental earth strata.
This was described by DR.. Frank
Press of California Institute of
Technology.
No Big Changes Indicated
The wave ends abruptly with
the termination of the continent
where the earthquake takes place
not necessarily as the CONT
nent now appears on maps, but
as it may have been at some
time in the earth's history. It
does not travel under the pri-
meval seas. Thus, if the North
American continent once ex-
tended 500 miles further east
than now the waves could be
traced 500 miles into the Allan
tic. where it would be lost
abruptly.
This 3-mile shock wave, DR..
Press said, indicates clearly that
the continental masses and the
deep seas always have had about
the same configurations as at
present. 1t shows that the Gulf
OF Mexico. the Mediterranean.
the Greenland Sea and the
North Arctic always have been
submerged under deep water.
while Baffln and Hudson's Bay
and the Barents Sea north of
Europe once were dry land or
very shallow water, essentially
either parts of continents or
continental shelves.
No Continent in Arctic
Observations of this shock
wave. DR.. Press said, completely
throw out the idea of a seventh
continent in the Arctic, the pos
sibility Of finding which was the
object Of Admiral Richard E.
Byrd's first Arctic flights, and
the contention of President
Roosevelt that Iceland really
was a part of North America.
Existence Of this continental
wave has been missed so long
DR.. Press said, because it is
quickly attentuated and could
have been found first only by
accident. Some mechanism in
side the earth's crust, he sale,
apparently acts as whispering
gallery" A close parallel. he
said. is the effect of the dome
OF the Capitol when one stands
In a particular position. Then
whisper yards away can bel
heard clearly. If the position of
the listener were changed
slightly a shout from the same
distance could not be heard.
BY and large, DR.. Press said,
the whispering waves show
that ocean areas buried under
deep water never can have been
parts of continents. So far as
Atlantis and Gonwandaland 20.
the waves show only that there
never were such great land
masses connected with any OF
the existing continents. But, he
said. quite different earthquake
wave considerations show they
never could have existed any
way.
Atlantis Is Mountain Range
Atlantis, the tabled continent
Of the mid-Atlantic of which the
Azores and Madeira islands
sometimes have been supposed
to be remnants, now is recog-
nized as a probable series Of
peaks of the mid-Atlantic noun
tains, he pointed out. This great
mountain range extending from
Iceland to the Antarctic. how
ever, now is proven to rise from
the primaeval sea bottom. The
same is true Of the recently dis
covered double range Of noun
tains extending essentially across
the North Pole.
Gonwandaland. tabled great
continent of the Pacific Of which
Antarctica, parts Of India and
East Africa. Australia and New
Zealand have been described as
fragments. admittedly offers a
much more difficult problem.
Throughout this whole region,
and nowhere else. sedimentary
rocks are stamped with the
Ethiopian cross. fossil imprints
@111-.na-a.sn.unl..n.