Theory of the Earth, With Proofs and Illustrations, Volume 2 (of 4)

The work proposes that the planet's solid crust originated as layered deposits on a seafloor and subsequently rose to form land, after which water and weather sculpted its present relief. It argues that rivers carve their own channels and that repeated cycles of deposition, uplift, erosion, and soil formation produce valleys, mountains, and varied rock appearances. Observational chapters apply the theory to alpine terrain and distant regions, describe gradations between sands, limestones, and slates, discuss folding, fragmentation and consolidation by heat, and examine the long-term action of air and water in reshaping surfaces.