The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Student's Elements of Geology
Title: The Student's Elements of Geology
Author: Sir Charles Lyell
Release date: February 1, 2003 [eBook #3772]
Most recently updated: February 22, 2021
Language: English
Credits: Sue Asscher
The Student’s Elements of Geology
By SIR CHARLES LYELL, BART., F.R.S.
AUTHOR OF
“THE PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY,” “THE ANTIQUITY OF MAN,” ETC.
WITH MORE THAN 600 ILLUSTRATIONS ON WOOD.
NEW YORK
HARPER & BROTHERS, PUBLISHERS
1878
CONTENTS.
Chapter I—ON THE DIFFERENT CLASSES OF
ROCKS.
Geology defined. — Successive Formation of the Earth’s Crust.
— Classification of Rocks according to their Origin and Age. —
Aqueous Rocks. — Their Stratification and imbedded Fossils. —
Volcanic Rocks, with and without Cones and Craters. — Plutonic Rocks, and
their Relation to the Volcanic. — Metamorphic Rocks, and their probable
Origin. — The term Primitive, why erroneously applied to the Crystalline
Formations. — Leading Division of the Work.
Chapter II—AQUEOUS ROCKS—THEIR
COMPOSITION AND FORMS OF STRATIFICATION.
Mineral Composition of Strata. — Siliceous Rocks. — Argillaceous.
— Calcareous. — Gypsum. — Forms of Stratification. —
Original Horizontality. — Thinning out. — Diagonal Arrangement.
— Ripple-mark.
Chapter III—ARRANGEMENT OF FOSSILS IN
STRATA—FRESH-WATER AND MARINE.
Successive Deposition indicated by Fossils. — Limestones formed of Corals
and Shells. — Proofs of gradual Increase of Strata derived from Fossils.
— Serpula attached to Spatangus. — Wood bored by Teredina. —
Tripoli formed of Infusoria. — Chalk derived principally from Organic
Bodies. — Distinction of Fresh-water from Marine Formations. —
Genera of Fresh-water and Land Shells. — Rules for recognising Marine
Testacea. — Gyrogonite and Chara. — Fresh-water Fishes. —
Alternation of Marine and Fresh-water Deposits. — Lym-Fiord.
Chapter IV—CONSOLIDATION OF STRATA AND
PETRIFACTION OF FOSSILS.
Chemical and Mechanical Deposits. — Cementing together of Particles.
— Hardening by Exposure to Air. — Concretionary Nodules. —
Consolidating Effects of Pressure. — Mineralization of Organic Remains.
— Impressions and Casts: how formed. — Fossil Wood. —
Goppert’s Experiments. — Precipitation of Stony Matter most rapid
where Putrefaction is going on. — Sources of Lime and Silex in Solution.
Chapter V—ELEVATION OF STRATA ABOVE THE
SEA.—HORIZONTAL AND INCLINED STRATIFICATION.
Why the Position of Marine Strata, above the Level of the Sea, should be
referred to the rising up of the Land, not to the going down of the Sea.
— Strata of Deep-sea and Shallow-water Origin alternate. — Also
Marine and Fresh-water Beds and old Land Surfaces. — Vertical, inclined,
and folded Strata. — Anticlinal and Synclinal Curves. — Theories to
explain Lateral Movements. — Creeps in Coal-mines. — Dip and
Strike. — Structure of the Jura. — Various Forms of Outcrop.
— Synclinal Strata forming Ridges. — Connection of Fracture and
Flexure of Rocks. — Inverted Strata. — Faults described. —
Superficial Signs of the same obliterated by Denudation. — Great Faults
the Result of repeated Movements. — Arrangement and Direction of parallel
Folds of Strata. — Unconformability. — Overlapping Strata.
Chapter VI—DENUDATION.
Denudation defined. — Its Amount more than equal to the entire Mass of
Stratified Deposits in the Earth’s Crust. — subaërial Denudation.
— Action of the Wind. — Action of Running Water. — Alluvium
defined. — Different Ages of Alluvium. — Denuding Power of Rivers
affected by Rise or Fall of Land. — Littoral Denudation. — Inland
Sea-Cliffs. — Escarpments. — Submarine Denudation. —
Dogger-bank. — Newfoundland Bank. — Denuding Power of the Ocean
during Emergence of Land.
Chapter VII—JOINT ACTION OF DENUDATION,
UPHEAVAL, AND SUBSIDENCE IN REMODELLING THE EARTH’S CRUST.
How we obtain an Insight at the Surface, of the Arrangement of Rocks at great
Depths. — Why the Height of the successive Strata in a given Region is so
disproportionate to their Thickness. — Computation of the average annual
Amount of subaërial Denudation. — Antagonism of Volcanic Force to the
Levelling Power of running Water. — How far the Transfer of Sediment from
the Land to a neighbouring Sea-bottom may affect Subterranean Movements.
— Permanence of Continental and Oceanic Areas.
Chapter VIII—CHRONOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION
OF ROCKS.
Aqueous, Plutonic, volcanic, and metamorphic Rocks considered chronologically.
— Terms Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary; Palæozoic, Mesozoic, and
Cainozoic explained. — On the different Ages of the aqueous Rocks.
— Three principal Tests of relative Age: Superposition, Mineral
Character, and Fossils. — Change of Mineral Character and Fossils in the
same continuous Formation. — Proofs that distinct Species of Animals and
Plants have lived at successive Periods. — Distinct Provinces of
indigenous Species. — Great Extent of single Provinces. — Similar
Laws prevailed at successive Geological Periods. — Relative Importance of
mineral and palæontological Characters. — Test of Age by included
Fragments. — Frequent Absence of Strata of intervening Periods. —
Tabular Views of fossiliferous Strata.
Chapter IX—CLASSIFICATION OF TERTIARY
FORMATIONS.
Order of Succession of Sedimentary Formations. — Frequent
Unconformability of Strata. — Imperfection of the Record. —
Defectiveness of the Monuments greater in Proportion to their Antiquity.
— Reasons for studying the newer Groups first. — Nomenclature of
Formations. — Detached Tertiary Formations scattered over Europe. —
Value of the Shell-bearing Mollusca in Classification. — Classification
of Tertiary Strata. — Eocene, Miocene, and Pliocene Terms explained.
Chapter X—RECENT AND POST-PLIOCENE
PERIODS.
Recent and Post-pliocene Periods. — Terms defined. — Formations of
the Recent Period. — Modern littoral Deposits containing Works of Art
near Naples. — Danish Peat and Shell-mounds. — Swiss
Lake-dwellings. — Periods of Stone, Bronze, and Iron. —
Post-pliocene Formations. — Coexistence of Man with extinct Mammalia.
— Reindeer Period of South of France. — Alluvial Deposits of
Paleolithic Age. — Higher and Lower-level Valley-gravels. — Loess
or Inundation-mud of the Nile, Rhine, etc. — Origin of Caverns. —
Remains of Man and extinct Quadrupeds in Cavern Deposits. — Cave of
Kirkdale. — Australian Cave-breccias. — Geographical Relationship
of the Provinces of living Vertebrata and those of extinct Post-pliocene
Species. — Extinct struthious Birds of New Zealand. — Climate of
the Post-pliocene Period. — Comparative Longevity of Species in the
Mammalia and Testacea. — Teeth of Recent and Post-pliocene Mammalia.
Chapter XI—POST-PLIOCENE PERIOD,
continued.—GLACIAL CONDITIONS.
Geographical Distribution, Form, and Characters of Glacial Drift. —
Fundamental Rocks, polished, grooved, and scratched. — Abrading and
striating Action of Glaciers. — Moraines, Erratic Blocks, and
“Roches Moutonnees”. — Alpine Blocks on the Jura. —
Continental Ice of Greenland. — Ancient Centres of the Dispersion of
Erratics. — Transportation of Drift by floating Icebergs. — Bed of
the Sea furrowed and polished by the running aground of floating Ice-islands.
Chapter XII—POST-PLIOCENE PERIOD,
continued.—GLACIAL CONDITIONS, concluded.
Glaciation of Scandinavia and Russia. — Glaciation of Scotland. —
Mammoth in Scotch Till. — Marine Shells in Scotch Glacial Drift. —
Their Arctic Character. — Rarity of Organic Remains in Glacial Deposits.
— Contorted Strata in Drift. — Glaciation of Wales, England, and
Ireland. — Marine Shells of Moel Tryfaen. — Erratics near
Chichester. — Glacial Formations of North America. — Many Species
of Testacea and Quadrupeds survived the Glacial Cold. — Connection of the
Predominance of Lakes with Glacial Action. — Action of Ice in preventing
the silting up of Lake-basins. — Absence of Lakes in the Caucasus.
— Equatorial Lakes of Africa.
Chapter XIII—PLIOCENE PERIOD.
Glacial Formations of Pliocene Age. — Bridlington Beds. — Glacial
Drifts of Ireland. — Drift of Norfolk Cliffs. — Cromer Forest-bed.
— Aldeby and Chillesford Beds. — Norwich Crag. — Older
Pliocene Strata. — Red Crag of Suffolk. — Coprolitic Bed of Red
Crag. — White or Coralline Crag. — Relative Age, Origin, and
Climate of the Crag Deposits. — Antwerp Crag. — Newer Pliocene
Strata of Sicily. — Newer Pliocene Strata of the Upper Val d’Arno.
— Older Pliocene of Italy. — Subapennine Strata. — Older
Pliocene Flora of Italy.
Chapter XIV—MIOCENE PERIOD.—UPPER
MIOCENE.
Upper Miocene Strata of France. — Faluns of Touraine. — Tropical
Climate implied by Testacea. — Proportion of recent Species of Shells.
— faluns more ancient than the Suffolk Crag. — Upper Miocene of
Bordeaux and the South of France. — Upper Miocene of Oeningen, in
Switzerland. — Plants of the Upper Fresh-water Molasse. — Fossil
Fruit and Flowers as well as Leaves. — Insects of the Upper Molasse.
— Middle or Marine Molasse of Switzerland. — Upper Miocene Beds of
the Bolderberg, in Belgium. — Vienna Basin. — Upper Miocene of
Italy and Greece. — Upper Miocene of India; Siwalik Hills. — Older
Pliocene and Miocene of the United States.
Chapter XV—LOWER MIOCENE.
Lower Miocene Strata of France. — Line between Miocene and Eocene.
— Lacustrine Strata of Auvergne. — Fossil Mammalia of the Limagne
d’Auvergne. — Lower Molasse of Switzerland. — Dense
Conglomerates and Proofs of Subsidence. — Flora of the Lower Molasse.
— American Character of the Flora. — Theory of a Miocene Atlantis.
— Lower Miocene of Belgium. — Rupelian Clay of Hermsdorf near
Berlin. — Mayence Basin. — Lower Miocene of Croatia. —
Oligocene Strata of Beyrich. — Lower Miocene of Italy. — Lower
Miocene of England. — Hempstead Beds. — Bovey Tracey Lignites in
Devonshire. — Isle of Mull Leaf-Beds. — Arctic Miocene Flora.
— Disco Island. — Lower Miocene of United States. — Fossils
of Nebraska.
Chapter XVI—EOCENE FORMATIONS.
Eocene Areas of North of Europe. — Table of English and French Eocene
Strata. — Upper Eocene of England. — Bembridge Beds. —
Osborne or St. Helen’s Beds. — Headon Series. — Fossils of
the Barton Sands and Clays. — Middle Eocene of England. — Shells,
Nummulites, Fish and Reptiles of the Bracklesham Beds and Bagshot Sands.
— Plants of Alum Bay and Bournemouth. — Lower Eocene of England.
— London Clay Fossils. — Woolwich and Reading Beds formerly called
“Plastic Clay”. — Fluviatile Beds underlying Deep-sea Strata.
— Thanet Sands. — Upper Eocene Strata of France. — Gypseous
Series of Montmartre and Extinct Quadrupeds. — Fossil Footprints in Paris
Gypsum. — Imperfection of the Record. — Calcaire Silicieux. —
Gres de Beauchamp. — Calcaire Grossier. — Miliolite Limestone.
— Soissonnais Sands. — Lower Eocene of France. — Nummulitic
Formations of Europe, Africa, and Asia. — Eocene Strata in the United
States. — Gigantic Cetacean.
Chapter XVII—UPPER CRETACEOUS
GROUP.
Lapse of Time between Cretaceous and Eocene Periods. — Table of
successive Cretaceous Formations. — Maestricht Beds. — Pisolitic
Limestone of France. — Chalk of Faxoe. — Geographical Extent and
Origin of the White Chalk. — Chalky Matter now forming in the Bed of the
Atlantic. — Marked Difference between the Cretaceous and existing Fauna.
— Chalk-flints. — Pot-stones of Horstead. — Vitreous Sponges
in the Chalk. — Isolated Blocks of Foreign Rocks in the White Chalk
supposed to be ice-borne. — Distinctness of Mineral Character in
contemporaneous Rocks of the Cretaceous Epoch. — Fossils of the White
Chalk. — Lower White Chalk without Flints. — Chalk Marl and its
Fossils. — Chloritic Series or Upper Greensand. — Coprolite Bed
near Cambridge. — Fossils of the Chloritic Series. — Gault. —
Connection between Upper and Lower Cretaceous Strata. — Blackdown Beds.
— Flora of the Upper Cretaceous Period. — Hippurite Limestone.
— Cretaceous Rocks in the United States.
Chapter XVIII—LOWER CRETACEOUS OR
NEOCOMIAN FORMATION.
Classification of marine and fresh-water Strata. — Upper Neocomian.
— Folkestone and Hythe Beds. — Atherfield Clay. — Similarity
of Conditions causing Reappearance of Species after short Intervals. —
Upper Speeton Clay. — Middle Neocomian. — Tealby Series. —
Middle Speeton Clay. — Lower Neocomian. — Lower Speeton Clay.
— Wealden Formation. — Fresh-water Character of the Wealden.
— Weald Clay. — Hastings Sands. — Punfield Beds of Purbeck,
Dorsetshire. — Fossil Shells and Fish of the Wealden. — Area of the
Wealden. — Flora of the Wealden.
Chapter XIX—JURASSIC GROUP.—PURBECK
BEDS AND OOLITE.
The Purbeck Beds a Member of the Jurassic Group. — Subdivisions of that
Group. — Physical Geography of the Oolite in England and France. —
Upper Oolite. — Purbeck Beds. — New Genera of fossil Mammalia in
the Middle Purbeck of Dorsetshire. — Dirt-bed or ancient Soil. —
Fossils of the Purbeck Beds. — Portland Stone and Fossils. —
Kimmeridge Clay. — Lithographic Stone of Solenhofen. —
Archæopteryx. — Middle Oolite. — Coral Rag. — Nerinæa
Limestone. — Oxford Clay, Ammonites and Belemnites. — Kelloway
Rock. — Lower, or Bath, Oolite. — Great Plants of the Oolite.
— Oolite and Bradford Clay. — Stonesfield Slate. — Fossil
Mammalia. — Fuller’s Earth. — Inferior Oolite and Fossils.
— Northamptonshire Slates. — Yorkshire Oolitic Coal-field. —
Brora Coal. — Palæontological Relations of the several Subdivisions of
the Oolitic group.
Chapter XX—JURASSIC GROUP,
CONTINUED.—LIAS.
Mineral Character of Lias. — Numerous successive Zones in the Lias,
marked by distinct Fossils, without Unconformity in the Stratification, or
Change in the Mineral Character of the Deposits. — Gryphite Limestone.
— Shells of the Lias. — Fish of the Lias. — Reptiles of the
Lias. — Ichthyosaur and Plesiosaur. — Marine Reptile of the
Galapagos Islands. — Sudden Destruction and Burial of Fossil Animals in
Lias. — Fluvio-marine Beds in Gloucestershire, and Insect Limestone.
— Fossil Plants. — The origin of the Oolite and Lias, and of
alternating Calcareous and Argillaceous Formations.
Chapter XXI—TRIAS, OR NEW RED SANDSTONE
GROUP.
Beds of Passage between the Lias and Trias, Rhætic Beds. — Triassic
Mammifer. — Triple Division of the Trias. — Keuper, or Upper Trias
of England. — Reptiles of the Upper Trias. — Foot-prints in the
Bunter formation in England. — Dolomitic Conglomerate of Bristol. —
Origin of Red Sandstone and Rock-salt. — Precipitation of Salt from
inland Lakes and Lagoons. — Trias of Germany. — Keuper. — St.
Cassian and Hallstadt Beds. — Peculiarity of their Fauna. —
Muschelkalk and its Fossils. — Trias of the United States. — Fossil
Foot-prints of Birds and Reptiles in the Valley of the Connecticut. —
Triassic Mammifer of North Carolina. — Triassic Coal-field of Richmond,
Virginia. — Low Grade of early Mammals favourable to the Theory of
Progressive Development.
Chapter XXII—PERMIAN OR MAGNESIAN
LIMESTONE GROUP.
Line of Separation between Mesozoic and Palæozoic Rocks. —
Distinctness of Triassic and Permian Fossils. — Term Permian. —
Thickness of calcareous and sedimentary Rocks in North of England. —
Upper, Middle, and Lower Permian. — Marine Shells and Corals of the
English Magnesian Limestone. — Reptiles and Fish of Permian Marl-slate.
— Foot-prints of Reptiles. — Angular Breccias in Lower Permian.
— Permian Rocks of the Continent. — Zechstein and Rothliegendes of
Thuringia. — Permian Flora. — Its generic Affinity to the
Carboniferous.
Chapter XXIII—THE COAL OR CARBONIFEROUS
GROUP.
Principal Subdivisions of the Carboniferous Group. — Different Thickness
of the sedimentary and calcareous Members in Scotland and the South of England.
— Coal-measures. — Terrestrial Nature of the Growth of Coal.
— Erect fossil Trees. — Uniting of many Coal-seams into one thick
Bed. — Purity of the Coal explained. — Conversion of Coal into
Anthracite. — Origin of Clay-ironstone. — Marine and brackish-water
Strata in Coal. — Fossil Insects. — Batrachian Reptiles. —
Labyrinthodont Foot-prints in Coal-measures. — Nova Scotia Coal-measures
with successive Growths of erect fossil Trees. — Similarity of American
and European Coal. — Air-breathers of the American Coal. — Changes
of Condition of Land and Sea indicated by the Carboniferous Strata of Nova
Scotia.
Chapter XXIV—FLORA AND FAUNA OF THE
CARBONIFEROUS PERIOD.
Vegetation of the Coal Period. — Ferns, Lycopodiaceæ,
Equisetaceæ, Sigillariæ, Stigmariæ, Coniferæ. —
Angiosperms. — Climate of the Coal Period. — Mountain Limestone.
— Marine Fauna of the Carboniferous Period. — Corals. —
Bryozoa, Crinoidea. — Mollusca. — Great Number of fossil Fish.
— Foraminifera.
Chapter XXV—DEVONIAN OR OLD RED SANDSTONE
GROUP.
Classification of the Old Red Sandstone in Scotland and in Devonshire. —
Upper Old Red Sandstone in Scotland, with Fish and Plants. — Middle Old
Red Sandstone. — Classification of the Ichthyolites of the Old Red, and
their Relation to Living Types. — Lower Old Red Sandstone, with
Cephalaspis and Pterygotus. — Marine or Devonian Type of Old Red
Sandstone. — Table of Devonian Series. — Upper Devonian Rocks and
Fossils. — Middle. — Lower. — Eifel Limestone of Germany.
— Devonian of Russia. — Devonian Strata of the United States and
Canada. — Devonian Plants and Insects of Canada.
Chapter XXVI—SILURIAN GROUP.
Classification of the Silurian Rocks. — Ludlow Formation and Fossils.
— Bone-bed of the Upper Ludlow. — Lower Ludlow Shales with
Pentamerus. — Oldest known Remains of fossil Fish. — Table of the
progressive Discovery of Vertebrata in older Rocks. — Wenlock Formation,
Corals, Cystideans and Trilobites. — Llandovery Group or Beds of Passage.
— Lower Silurian Rocks. — Caradoc and Bala Beds. —
Brachiopoda. — Trilobites. — Cystideæ. — Graptolites.
— Llandeilo Flags. — Arenig or Stiper-stones Group. — Foreign
Silurian Equivalents in Europe. — Silurian Strata of the United States.
— Canadian Equivalents. — Amount of specific Agreement of Fossils
with those of Europe.
Chapter XXVII—CAMBRIAN AND LAURENTIAN
GROUPS.
Classification of the Cambrian Group, and its Equivalent in Bohemia. —
Upper Cambrian Rocks. — Tremadoc Slates and their Fossils. —
Lingula Flags. — Lower Cambrian Rocks. — Menevian Beds. —
Longmynd Group. — Harlech Grits with large Trilobites. — Llanberis
Slates. — Cambrian Rocks of Bohemia. — Primordial Zone of Barrande.
— Metamorphosis of Trilobites. — Cambrian Rocks of Sweden and
Norway. — Cambrian Rocks of the United States and Canada. — Potsdam
Sandstone. — Huronian Series. — Laurentian Group, upper and lower.
— Eozoon Canadense, oldest known Fossil. — Fundamental Gneiss of
Scotland.
Chapter XXVIII—VOLCANIC ROCKS.
External Form, Structure, and Origin of Volcanic Mountains. — Cones and
Craters. — Hypothesis of “Elevation Craters” considered.
— Trap Rocks. — Name whence derived. — Minerals most abundant
in Volcanic Rocks. — Table of the Analysis of Minerals in the Volcanic
and Hypogene Rocks. — Similar Minerals in Meteorites. — Theory of
Isomorphism. — Basaltic Rocks. — Trachytic Rocks. — Special
Forms of Structure. — The columnar and globular Forms. — Trap Dikes
and Veins. — Alteration of Rocks by volcanic Dikes. — Conversion of
Chalk into Marble. — Intrusion of Trap between Strata. — Relation
of trappean Rocks to the Products of active Volcanoes.
Chapter XXIX—ON THE AGES OF VOLCANIC
ROCKS.
Tests of relative Age of Volcanic Rocks. — Why ancient and modern Rocks
cannot be identical. — Tests by Superposition and intrusion. —
Test by Alteration of Rocks in Contact. — Test by Organic Remains.
— Test of Age by Mineral Character. — Test by Included Fragments.
— Recent and Post-pliocene volcanic Rocks. — Vesuvius, Auvergne,
Puy de Come, and Puy de Pariou. — Newer Pliocene volcanic Rocks. —
Cyclopean Isles, Etna, Dikes of Palagonia, Madeira. — Older Pliocene
volcanic Rocks. — Italy. — Pliocene Volcanoes of the Eifel. —
Trass.
Chapter XXX—AGE OF VOLCANIC
ROCKS—CONTINUED.
Volcanic Rocks of the Upper Miocene Period. — Madeira. — Grand
Canary. — Azores. — Lower Miocene Volcanic Rocks. — Isle of
Mull. — Staffa and Antrim. — The Eifel. — Upper and Lower
Miocene Volcanic Rocks of Auvergne. — Hill of Gergovia. — Eocene
Volcanic Rocks of Monte Bolca. — Trap of Cretaceous Period. —
Oolitic Period. — Triassic Period. — Permian Period. —
Carboniferous Period. — Erect Trees buried in Volcanic Ash in the Island
of Arran. — Old Red Sandstone Period. — Silurian Period. —
Cambrian Period. — Laurentian Volcanic Rocks.
Chapter XXXI—PLUTONIC ROCKS.
General Aspect of Plutonic Rocks. — Granite and its Varieties. —
Decomposing into Spherical Masses. — Rude columnar Structure. —
Graphic Granite. — Mutual Penetration of Crystals of Quartz and Feldspar.
— Glass Cavities in Quartz of Granite. — Porphyritic, talcose, and
syenitic Granite. — Schorlrock and Eurite. — Syenite. —
Connection of the Granites and Syenites with the Volcanic Rocks. —
Analogy in Composition of Trachyte and Granite. — Granite Veins in Glen
Tilt, Cape of Good Hope, and Cornwall. — Metalliferous Veins in Strata
near their Junction with Granite. — Quartz Veins. — Exposure of
Plutonic Rocks at the surface due to Denudation.
Chapter XXXII—ON THE DIFFERENT AGES OF THE
PLUTONIC ROCKS.
Difficulty in ascertaining the precise Age of a Plutonic Rock. — Test of
Age by Relative Position. — Test by Intrusion and Alteration. —
Test by Mineral Composition. — Test by included Fragments. — Recent
and Pliocene Plutonic Rocks, why invisible. — Miocene Syenite of the Isle
of Skye. — Eocene Plutonic Rocks in the Andes. — Granite altering
Cretaceous Rocks. — Granite altering Lias in the Alps and in Skye.
— Granite of Dartmoor altering Carboniferous Strata. — Granite of
the Old Red Sandstone Period. — Syenite altering Silurian Strata in
Norway. — Blending of the same with Gneiss. — Most ancient Plutonic
Rocks. — Granite protruded in a solid Form.
Chapter XXXIII—METAMORPHIC ROCKS.
General Character of Metamorphic Rocks. — Gneiss. —
Hornblende-schist. — Serpentine. — Mica-schist. — Clay-slate.
— Quartzite. — Chlorite-schist. — Metamorphic Limestone.
— Origin of the metamorphic Strata. — Their Stratification. —
Fossiliferous Strata near intrusive Masses of Granite converted into Rocks
identical with different Members of the metamorphic Series. — Arguments
hence derived as to the Nature of Plutonic Action. — Hydrothermal Action,
or the Influence of Steam and Gases in producing Metamorphism. —
Objections to the metamorphic Theory considered.
Chapter XXXIV—METAMORPHIC
ROCKS—continued.
Definition of slaty Cleavage and Joints. — Supposed Causes of these
Structures. — Crystalline Theory of Cleavage. — Mechanical Theory
of Cleavage. — Condensation and Elongation of slate Rocks by lateral
Pressure. — Lamination of some volcanic Rocks due to Motion. —
Whether the Foliation of the crystalline Schists be usually parallel with the
original Planes of Stratification. — Examples in Norway and Scotland.
— Causes of Irregularity in the Planes of Foliation.
Chapter XXXV—ON THE DIFFERENT AGES OF THE
METAMORPHIC ROCKS.
Difficulty of ascertaining the Age of metamorphic Strata. — Metamorphic
Strata of Eocene date in the Alps of Switzerland and Savoy. — Limestone
and Shale of Carrara. — Metamorphic Strata of older date than the
Silurian and Cambrian Rocks. — Order of Succession in metamorphic Rocks.
— Uniformity of mineral Character. — Supposed Azoic Period. —
Connection between the Absence of Organic Remains and the Scarcity of
calcareous Matter in metamorphic Rocks.
Chapter XXXVI—MINERAL VEINS.
Different Kinds of mineral Veins. — Ordinary metalliferous Veins or
Lodes. — Their frequent Coincidence with Faults. — Proofs that they
originated in Fissures in solid Rock. — Veins shifting other Veins.
— Polishing of their Walls or “Slicken sides”. — Shells
and Pebbles in Lodes. — Evidence of the successive Enlargement and
Reopening of veins. — Examples in Cornwall and in Auvergne. —
Dimensions of Veins. — Why some alternately swell out and contract.
— Filling of Lodes by Sublimation from below. — Supposed relative
Age of the precious Metals. — Copper and lead Veins in Ireland older than
Cornish Tin. — Lead Vein in Lias, Glamorganshire. — Gold in Russia,
California, and Australia. — Connection of hot Springs and mineral Veins.