Principles Of Physical Geology Research Articles

Greater India

“Greater India” is an 80-yr-old concept that has been used by geoscientists in plate tectonic models of the India–Asia collision system. Numerous authors working on the orogen and/or plate models of the broader region have added various sized chunks of continental lithosphere to the now northern edge of their reconstructed Indian plate. Prior to plate tectonic theory, Emile Argand (1924) [Argand, E., 1924. La tectonique de l' Asie. Proc. 13th Int. Geol. Cong. 7 (1924), 171–372.] and Arthur Holmes (1965) [Holmes, A., 1965. Principles of Physical Geology, Second Edition. The Ronald Press Company, New York, 1128.] thought that the Himalayan Mountains and Tibetan Plateau had been raised due to the northern edge of the Indian craton under-thrusting the entire region. Since the advent of plate tectonic theory, Greater India proposals have been based principally on three lines of logic. One group of workers has added various amounts of continental lithosphere to India as part of their Mesozoic Gondwana models. A second form of reconstruction is based on Himalayan crustal-shortening estimates. A third body of researchers has used India continent extensions as means of allowing initial contact between the block and the Eurasian backstop plate in southern Tibet to take place at various times between the Late Cretaceous and late Eocene in what we call “fill-the-gap” solutions. The Indian craton and the southern edge of Eurasia were almost invariably some distance from one another when the collision was supposed to have started; extensions to the sub-continent were used to circumvent the problem. Occasionally, Greater India extensions have been based on a combination of fill-the-gap and shortening estimate arguments. In this paper, we exhume and re-examine the key Greater India proposals. From our analysis, it is clear that many proponents have ignored key information regarding the sub-continent's pre break-up position within Gondwana and the bathymetry of the Indian Ocean west of Australia, in particular the Wallaby–Zenith Plateau Ridge and the Wallaby–Zenith Fracture Zone. We suggest that the Indian continent probably extended no more than 950 km in the central portion of the Main Boundary Thrust, up to the Wallaby–Zenith Fracture Zone. At the Western Syntaxis, the extension was about 600 km. These estimates are broadly compatible with some of the geophysically-derived models depicting subducted Indian lithosphere beneath Tibet, as well as estimates of Himalayan shortening. Models requiring sub-continent extensions > 9° ahead of the craton are probably wrong. We also suggest that northern India did not have a thinned rifted passive margin due to the earlier rifting of blocks away from it when it formed part of Gondwana. Instead, the boundary developed as a transform fault and probably had a very narrow ocean–continent transition zone (5–10 km wide), similar to the Romanche Fracture Zone offshore of Ghana, West Africa.

The Dating Game: One Man's Search for the Age of the Earth

Arthur Holmes, who lived from 1890 to 1965, was one of the greatest geologists of the first half of the 20th century. He was particularly successful at applying developments in physics to geological problems. Holmes worked on fundamental problems—the origins of igneous rocks and mountains, mantle convection, the age of the Earth, and continental drift—and he played central roles in major controversies about the latter two of these topics. His Principles of Physical Geology was a wonderful introduction to geology. Although historians have discussed Holmes' work on continental drift, they have paid little attention to his dating of the Earth. Discovery of the Earth's age was a major scientific accomplishment. Holmes also devoted much more attention to dating questions than to continental drift. Over 50 of his papers were about dating, while fewer than 10 dealt with continental drift.

Principles of physical geology by J. E. Sanders. Wiley New York, 1981. No. of pages: 636. Price: £28.45 (hardback); £11.15 (IWE paperback version).

Principles of physical geology by J. E. Sanders. Wiley New York, 1981. No. of pages: 636. Price: £28.45 (hardback); £11.15 (IWE paperback version).

Principles of Physical Geology. John E. Sanders

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsPrinciples of Physical Geology. John E. Sanders Alfred T. Anderson Jr.Alfred T. Anderson Jr. Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Geology Volume 90, Number 1Jan., 1982 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/628655 Copyright 1982 The University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

A general introductory textbook of geology

Book reviewed in this article:John E. Sanders: Principles of Physical Geology.

Geologi og Vandboring. 2.udgave

This book is intended as a simple geologic hand-book for well drillers and water supply engineers working in Denmark.The principles of physical geology are briefly treated in chapter I as an introduction to the geology of waterbearing beds in the subsoil of Denmark. The normal hydrologic cycle at the surface of the earth has been emphasized, illustrating the action of water upon landscape and subsurface. Glacial erosion and sedimentation are discussed rather comprehensively in order to make the user of the book familiar with the variability of the Quaternary deposits of the country. The work of the sea has also been treated, and the modes of marine erosion and sedimentation are outlined. The comparison of fluviatile, marine, and glacial deposits should draw attention to significant features and differences in rock composition and texture, and thus enable the well driller or engineer to determine the common rock types met with in water well drilling in this country. Weathering, disintegration, and crustal processes are only touched upon.In chapter II, which deals with the historical geology, the glacial drift that veils the bedrock formation over great parts of the country is described first, since a non-geologist should understand the nature of the Pleistocene glacial deposits before he is confronted with the less accessible formations of the subsurface. Regarding the pre-Pleistocene formation the description has been divided into two sections, the first one treating the areas W of Øresund, and the second one dealing with the island of Bornholm. The formations are described in their stratigraphic order of succession, and the sequence of sediments is described in rather great detail, with emphasis on the formations that provide aquifers of practical importance.Chapter III deals with the selection of drilling sites in general on the basis of geologic and hydrologic viewpoints, while chapter IV is a case history of the search for new groundwater supply areas for the waterworks of the township of Randers in Jutland. It includes an outline of existing major pumping stations in the town area and its surroundings, and a discussion of the geologic and hydrologic setting of the region. The plans for the test wells, which were proposed on the basis of geo-hydrologic considerations, are presented and compared with the results obtained through subsequent drilling.Waterbearing gravels and sands in the Pleistocene and waterbearing Upper Cretaceous limestone were tested. It appeared that rather complicated hydrologic situations are found in the surveyed area. One of the most cumbersome problems from a technical point of view is the occurrence of salt water in the aquifers. The salt water is assumed to be derived from deep-lying pre-Cretaceous formations from which it may ascend into the freshwater zones through structural dislocations due to a deficit in hydrostatic pressure in the more shallow aquifers. A natural drainage of the Gudenaa valley through highly permeable gravel beds near the surface may be responsible for the lower hydrostatic pressure in these aquifers. The last part of the book consists of a compilation of significant well logs, a list of geologic terms, stratigraphic tables, a geologic map of the pre-Pleistocene surface, and two cross sections through important wells.

Reviews

PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY Arthur Holmes. Principles of Physical Geology. New and fully revised edition. Thomas Nelson and Sons Ltd, London and Edinburgh, 1965. pp. xv + 1288, 880 plates and text figures. $A13.00. ECONOMIC GEOLOGY I. R. McLeod (Ed.) Australian Mineral Industry: The Mineral Deposits. Bull. Bur. Miner. Resour. Geol. Geophys. Aust., 72, 1966. vii + 690 pp., text‐figures and folding map. $A12.00 (on official orders from schools $A8.00). [Also issued in 55 separate chapters ($0.25 ea.)] GLACIAL MAP E. D. Derbyshire, M. R. Banks, J. L. Davies & J. N. Jennings‐A Glacial Map of Tasmania. Spec. Publ. R. Soc. Tasm., 2, pp. 1–10 + Map, 1965. NEW JOURNAL JOURNAL OF THE AUSTRALIAN CERAMIC SOCIETY (Vol. 1, No. 1, August 1965).

Principles of Physical Geology. Arthur Holmes

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsPrinciples of Physical Geology. Arthur Holmes W. A. EldersW. A. Elders Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Geology Volume 73, Number 6Nov., 1965 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/627133 Views: 2Total views on this site Copyright 1965 University of ChicagoPDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Principles of Physical Geology. By Arthur Holmes. 1,288 pp. with 880 figures, half-tone and line. Nelson, Edinburgh, 1965. Price 84s.

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NOTES ON CERTAIN TECHNICAL TERMS USED IN GEOMORPHOLOGY

Although there is general agreement on the meaning of most of the terms used in geomorphology, a good deal of confusion does exist as to their exact definition. A study of three texts, one American, one English, and one German, and a dictionary in French suggested that a comparative analysis of their usage might make it possible to pare away some of the differences between them, particularly where processes are concerned. The three texts were Principles of Geomorphology by W. D. Thornbury, Principles of Physical Geology by A. Holmes, and Morphological Analysis of Landscape by W. Penck. The dictionary is Vocabulaire Franco-AngloAllemand de Geomorphologie by H. Baulig. A summary of the writer's conclusions is as follows: Starting with the general processes at work in, or at the surface of, the lithosphere, there is a basic division into two kinds: those of internal origin, and those of external origin. To the former can be given the general name of crustal movements, while the latter are referred to as the processes of gradation. Crustal movements can probably be best defined by adapting Thornbury's definition of diastrophism, and are the processes which elevate or depress portions of the lithosphere and thereby prevent the gradational processes from reducing it ultimately to a mean level. The processes of gradation can still be defined most economically in the words of Chamberlin and Salisbury as being “all those processes which tend to bring the surface of the lithosphere to a common level.” In their turn they can be divided into the processes of degradation and those of aggradation. It is with regret that the latter term is used in place of deposition, but the great advantage which it has through its sense of opposition to degradation outweighs its ugly sound. Degradation can best be defined as the whole ensemble of external processes which tend to lower the surface of the lithosphere– thus combining the concepts of Baulig with those of Thornbury. Aggradation is obviously the opposite process. Under the general heading of degradation there are, accepting Holmes's view, three separate processes: weathering, erosion, and transportation. Weathering cannot be defined better than it was by Thornbury as “the disintegration and decomposition of (the) rock in place.” Erosion on the other hand was best defined by Holmes as “all the destructive processes due to the effect of the transporting agents.” It should be noted that this definition is only all-inclusive if gravity is looked on as being a transporting agent. Transportation was left undefined by Holmes though it was he who said that it was a separate element of degradation (denudation). Thornbury classes it as part of erosion (i.e. degradation) but it must obviously play a part in aggradation also. The best definition seems to be the removal, by whatever means, of weathered material. Erosion itself can be subdivided into the processes of corrosion, corrasion, and attrition. All three are defined by both Holmes and Thornbury in similar ways with Holmes being generally the more wordy of the two. Following Thornbury, therefore, we can say that: Corrosion is the removal of material by solution and corrasion is the removal of bedrock particles by “the tooling action” of the transported material. This definition of attrition seems unnecessarily complex, however, and can be shortened with advantage to the “wear and tear rock particles undergo in transit.”

Monnett, Victor E. and Brown, Howard E. The principles of physical geology. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1950. 450 p. $4.50

Science EducationVolume 34, Issue 5 p. 328-328 Book Review Monnett, Victor E. and Brown, Howard E. The principles of physical geology. Boston: Ginn and Company, 1950. 450 p. $4.50 First published: December 1950 https://doi.org/10.1002/sce.3730340552AboutPDF ToolsRequest permissionExport citationAdd to favoritesTrack citation ShareShare Give accessShare full text accessShare full-text accessPlease review our Terms and Conditions of Use and check box below to share full-text version of article.I have read and accept the Wiley Online Library Terms and Conditions of UseShareable LinkUse the link below to share a full-text version of this article with your friends and colleagues. Learn more.Copy URL Share a linkShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditWechat No abstract is available for this article. Volume34, Issue5December 1950Pages 328-328 RelatedInformation

Principles of Physical Geology. Arthur Holmes

Previous articleNext article No AccessReviewsPrinciples of Physical Geology. Arthur Holmes John R. BallJohn R. Ball Search for more articles by this author PDFPDF PLUS Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by The Journal of Geology Volume 54, Number 6Nov., 1946 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/625383 Views: 3Total views on this site PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Physical Geology: Principles of Physical Geology . By Arthur Holmes. xii + 532 pp. 95 pls. 262 text figs. New York: Ronald Press, 1945. $4.00.

Physical Geology: <i>Principles of Physical Geology</i> . By Arthur Holmes. xii + 532 pp. 95 pls. 262 text figs. New York: Ronald Press, 1945. $4.00.

Principles of physical geology

"Principles of physical geology." Geologiska Föreningen i Stockholm Förhandlingar, 67(1), pp. 115–116

Principles of Physical Geology

A GEOLOGICAL author who introduces the word 'Principles' into the title of his work is wittingly inviting a comparison with Charles Lyell's masterpiece, "The Principles of Geology", which, more than a century ago, laid the foundations of the modern science. Whereas Lyell's was a work of genius, the present book is not; but this is no matter for the slightest regret. It may be debated whether geological science at this present time needs a genius or could make much of one were he to appear, but there can be no question at all that it needs an expositor—and here is one with a rare combination of lucidity and sprightliness. Geologists have wailed of late about the neglect of their science and of themselves in many fields both warlike and peaceful, and have traced this neglect to the ignorance of geology among all classes of the community in Great Britain and especially among those classes which should know better. Their laments have certainly been justified, but they have proposed few workable remedies. It seems that the cure has lain all the time in the hands of the geologists themselves; they cannot expect many people nowadays to struggle for knowledge, and they must accordingly make their wares attractive and take them to the customers. Here is a very attractive article indeed. Principles of Physical Geology By Prof. Arthur Holmes. Pp. xii + 532 + 95 plates. (London and Edinburgh: Thomas Nelson and Sons, Ltd., 1944.) 30s. net.

Principles of Physical Geology: Review

Principles of Physical Geology: Review