Bearing of Distribution of Earthquakes and Volcanoes on Their Origin

Abstract

Introduction This paper is one of a series by the writer on sliding continents and the making of mountain ranges, with special reference to the ranges of the so-called Tertiary mountain belt. About forty years ago Neumayr made a map of what he called the earth’s “young” mountain ranges. He represented them by a relatively broad band or belt extending along the southern border of Europe, touching northwestern Africa in the Atlas ranges, and extending thence along the whole southern and eastern front of Asia to central Alaska, where the belt turns southward to form the western cordillera of both North and South America. A branch also runs east and south in the Pacific Ocean around the north and east sides of Australia. This world belt includes all of the high, rugged mountain ranges of the earth. Since mountain-making is much more rapid during the period of its action than . . .