| GEOLOGICAL THEORY AND THE EVIDENCE BY WHICH IT IS SUPPORTED. |
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| CHAPTER I. |
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| THEORY OF GEOLOGISTS. |
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| Geology defined—Facts and Theories—Recent Progress of Geology—Stratification of Rocks—Aqueous Rocks; of Mechanical Origin—of Chemical Origin—of Organic Origin—Igneous Rocks, Plutonic and Volcanic—Metamorphic Rocks—Summary of the Rocks that compose the Crust of the Earth—Relative Order of Position—Internal Condition of the Globe—Movements of the Earth’s Crust—Subterranean Disturbing Force—Uplifting and Bending of Strata—Denudation and its Causes—Fossil Remains—their Value in Geological Theory, | 30 |
| CHAPTER II. |
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| THEORY OF DENUDATION ILLUSTRATED BY FACTS. |
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| Principle of Reasoning common to all the Physical Sciences—This Principle applicable to Geology—Carbonic Acid an Agent of Denudation—Vast Quantity of Lime dissolved by the Waters of the Rhine and borne away to the German Ocean—Disintegration of Rocks by Frost—Professor Tyndall on the Matterhorn—Running Water—its Erosive Power—an active and unceasing Agent of Denudation—Mineral Sediment carried out to Sea by the Ganges and other great Rivers—Solid Rocks undermined and worn away—Falls of the Clyde at Lanark—Excavating Power of Rivers in Auvergne and Sicily—Falls of Niagara—Transporting Power of Running Water—Floods in Scotland—Inundation in the Valley of Bagnes in Switzerland, | 47 |
| CHAPTER III. |
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| THEORY OF DENUDATION—FURTHER ILLUSTRATIONS. |
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| The Breakers of the Ocean—Caverns and Fairy Bridges of Kilkee—Italy and Sicily—The Shetland Islands—East and South Coast of Britain—Tracts of Land swallowed up by the Sea—Island of Heligoland—Northstrand—Tides and Currents—South Atlantic Current—Equatorial Current—The Gulf Stream—its Course described—Examples of its Power as an Agent of Transport, | 61 |
| CHAPTER IV. |
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| THEORY OF DENUDATION—CONCLUDED. |
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| Glaciers—their Nature and Composition—their unceasing Motion—Powerful Agents of Denudation—Icebergs—their Number and Size—Erratic Blocks and loose Gravel spread out over Mountains, Plains, and Valleys, at the Bottom of the Sea—Characteristic Marks of moving Ice—Evidence of ancient Glacial Action—Illustrations from the Alps—from the Mountains of the Jura—Theory applied to Northern Europe—to Scotland, Wales, and Ireland—The Fact of Denudation established—Summary of the Evidence—This Fact the first Step in Geological Theory, | 71 |
| CHAPTER V. |
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| STRATIFIED ROCKS OF MECHANICAL ORIGIN—THEORY DEVELOPED AND ILLUSTRATED. |
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| Formation of Stratified Rocks ascribed to the Agency of Natural Causes—This Theory supported by Facts—The Argument stated—Examples of Mechanical Rocks—Materials of which they are composed—Origin and History of these Materials traced out—Process of Deposition—Process of Consolidation—Instances of Consolidation by Pressure—Consolidation perfected by Natural Cements—Curious Illustrations—Consolidation of Sandstone in Cornwall—Arrangement of Strata explained by intermittent Action of the Agents of Denudation, | 87 |
| CHAPTER VI. |
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| STRATIFIED ROCKS OF MECHANICAL ORIGIN—FURTHER ILLUSTRATIONS. |
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| Impossible to witness the Formation of Stratified Rocks in the Depths of the Ocean—On a small scale Examples are exhibited by Rivers and Lakes—Alluvial Plains—their extraordinary Fertility—Great Basin of the Nile—Experiments of the Royal Society—The Mississippi and the Orinoco—Some Rivers fill up their own Channels—Case of the River Po—Artificial Embankments—Large Tract of Alluvial Soil deposited by the Rhone in the Lake of Geneva—Deltas—The Delta of the Ganges and Brahmapootra—Delta of the Nile, | 100 |
| CHAPTER VII. |
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| STRATIFIED ROCKS OF CHEMICAL ORIGIN. |
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| Chemical Agency employed in the Formation of Mechanical Rocks—But some Rocks produced almost exclusively by the Action of Chemical Laws—Difference between a Mixture and a Solution—a Saturated Solution—Stalactites and Stalagmites—Fantastic Columns in Limestone Caverns—The Grotto of Antiparos in the Grecian Archipelago—Wyer’s Cave in the Blue Mountains of America—Travertine Rock in Italy—Growth of Limestone in the Solfatara Lake near Tivoli—Incrustations of the Anio—Formation of Travertine at the Baths of San Filippo and San Vignone, | 109 |
| CHAPTER VIII. |
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| STRATIFIED ROCKS OF ORGANIC ORIGIN—ILLUSTRATIONS FROM ANIMAL LIFE. |
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| Nature of Organic Rocks—Carbonate of Lime extracted from the Sea by the Intervention of minute Animalcules—Chalk Rock—its vast Extent—supposed to be of Organic Origin—A Stratum of the same kind now growing up on the Floor of the Atlantic Ocean—Coral Reefs and Islands—their general Appearance—their Geographical Distribution—their Organic Origin—Structure of the Zoophyte—Various Illustrations—Agency of the Zoophyte in the Construction of Coral Rock—How the sunken Reef is converted into an Island—and peopled with Plants and Animals—Difficulty proposed and considered—Hypothesis of Mr. Darwin—Coral Limestone in the solid Crust of the Earth, | 118 |
| CHAPTER IX. |
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| STRATIFIED ROCKS OF ORGANIC ORIGIN—ILLUSTRATIONS FROM VEGETABLE LIFE. |
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| Origin of Coal—Evident Traces of Plants and Trees in Coal Mines—Coal made up of the same Elements as Wood—Beds of Coal found resting upon Clay in which are preserved the Roots of Trees—Insensible Transition from Wood to Coal—Forest-covered Swamps—Accumulations of Drift Wood in Lakes and Estuaries—Peat Bogs—Beds of Lignite—Seams of pure Coal with half Carbonized Trees, some lying prostrate, some standing erect—Summary of the Argument hitherto pursued—Objection to this Argument from the Omnipotence of God—Answer to the Objection, | 141 |
| CHAPTER X. |
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| FOSSIL REMAINS—THE MUSEUM. |
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| Recapitulation—Scope of our Argument—Theory of Stratified Rocks the Framework of Geological Science—This Theory brings Geology into Contact with Revelation—The Line of Reasoning hitherto pursued confirmed by the Testimony of Fossil Remains—Meaning of the Word Fossil—Inexhaustible Abundance of Fossils—Various States of Preservation—Petrifaction—Experiments of Professor Göppert—Organic Rocks afford some Insight into the Fossil World—The Reality and Significance of Fossil Remains must be learned from Observation—The British Museum—Colossal Skeletons—Bones and Shells of Animals—Fossil Plants and Trees, | 156 |
| CHAPTER XI. |
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| FOSSIL REMAINS—THE EXPLORATION. |
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| From the Museum to the Quarry—Fossil Fish in the Limestone Rocks of Monte Bolca—in the Quarries of Aix—in the Chalk of Sussex—The Ichthyosaurus or Fish-like Lizard—Gigantic Dimensions of this Ancient Monster—its Predatory Habits—The Plesiosaurus—The Megatherium or great Wild Beast—History of its Discovery—the Mylodon—Profusion of Fossil Shells—Petrified Trees erect in the Limestone Rock of Portland—Fossil Plants of the Coal Measures—The Sigillaria—The Fern—The Calamite—The Lepidodendron—Coal Mine of Treuil—Fossil Remains afford undeniable Evidence of former Animal and Vegetable Life—Their Existence cannot be accounted for by the Plastic Power of Nature—nor can it reasonably be ascribed to a Special Act of Creation, | 172 |
| CHAPTER XII. |
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| GEOLOGICAL CHRONOLOGY—PRINCIPLES OF THE SYSTEM EXPLAINED AND DEVELOPED. |
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| Significance of Fossil Remains—Science of Palæontology—Classification of existing Animal Life—Fossil Remains are found to fit in with this Classification—Succession of Organic Life—Time in Geology not measured by Years and Centuries—Successive Periods marked by Successive Forms of Life—The Geologist aims at arranging these Periods in Chronological Order—Position of the various Groups of Strata not sufficient for this purpose—It is accomplished chiefly through the aid of Fossil Remains—Mode of proceeding practically explained—Chronological Table, | 198 |
| CHAPTER XIII. |
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| GE OLOGICAL CHRONOLOGY—REMARKS ON THE SUCCESSION OF ORGANIC LIFE. |
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| Summary of the History of Stratified Rocks—Striking Characteristics of certain Formations—Human Remains found only in superficial Deposits—Gradual Transition from the Organic Life of one Period to that of the next—Evidence in favor of this Opinion—Advance from Lower to Higher Types of Organic Life as we ascend from the Older to the more Recent Formations—Economic Value of Geological Chronology—Illustration—Search for Coal—the Practical Man at Fault—the Geologist comes to his aid, and saves him from useless Expense, | 217 |
| CHAPTER XIV. |
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| SUBTERRANEAN HEAT—ITS EXISTENCE DEMONSTRATED BY FACTS. |
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| Theory of Stratified Rocks supposes Disturbances of the Earth’s Crust—These Disturbances ascribed by Geologists to the Action of subterranean Heat—The Existence of Subterranean Heat, and its Power to move the Crust of the Earth, proved by direct Evidence—Supposed Igneous Origin of our Globe—Remarkable Increase of Temperature as we descend into the Earth’s Crust—Hot Springs—Artesian Wells—Steam issuing from Crevices in the Earth—The Geysers of Iceland—A Glimpse of the subterranean Fires—Mount Vesuvius in 1779—Vast Extent of Volcanic Action—Existence of subterranean Heat an established fact, | 233 |
| CHAPTER XV. |
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| SUBTERRANEAN HEAT—ITS POWERS ILLUSTRATED BY VOLCANOS. |
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| Effects of subterranean Heat in the present Age of the World—Vast Accumulations of solid Matter from the Eruptions of Volcanos—Buried Cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum—Curious Relics of Roman Life—Monte Nuovo—Eruption of Jorullo in the Province of Mexico—Sumbawa in the Indian Archipelago—Volcanos in Iceland—Mountain Mass of Etna the Product of Volcanic Eruptions—Volcanic Islands—In the Atlantic—in the Mediterranean—Santorin in the Grecian Archipelago, | 244 |
| CHAPTER XVI. |
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| SUBTERRANEAN HEAT—ITS POWERS ILLUSTRATED BY EARTHQUAKES. |
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| Earthquakes and Volcanos proceed from the same common Cause—Recent Earthquakes in New Zealand—Vast Tracts of Land permanently upraised—Earthquakes of Chili in the present Century—Crust of the Earth elevated—Earthquake of Cutch in India, 1819—Remarkable Instance of Subsidence and Upheaval—Earthquake of Calabria, 1783—Earthquake of Lisbon, 1755—Great Destruction of Life and Property—Earthquake of Peru, August, 1868—General Scene of Ruin and Devastation—Great Sea Wave—A Ship with all her Crew carried a Quarter of a Mile inland—Frequency of Earthquakes, | 258 |
| CHAPTER XVII. |
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| SUBTERRANEAN HEAT—ITS POWERS ILLUSTRATED BY UNDULATIONS OF THE EARTH’S CRUST. |
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| Gentle Movements of the Earth’s Crust within Historic Times—Roman Roads and Temples submerged in the Bay of Baiæ—Temple of Jupiter Serapis—Singular Condition of its Columns—Proof of Subsidence and subsequent Upheaval—Indications of a second Subsidence now actually taking place—Gradual Upheaval of the Coast of Sweden—Summary of the Evidence adduced to establish this Fact—Subsidence of the Earth’s Crust on the West Coast of Greenland—Recapitulation, | 271 |