THE BIRTH-TIME OF THE WORLD AND OTHER SCIENTIFIC ESSAYS
by
J. JOLY, M.A., Sc.D., F.R.S.,
PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY AND MINERALOGY IN THE UNIVERSITY OFDUBLIN
E. P. DUTTON AND COMPANY
681 FIFTH AVENUE NEW YORK
Produced by Hugh Rance, 2005
Cover
Title page
CONTENTS PAGE
I. THE BIRTH-TIME OF THE WORLD - - - - - - - - - - - 1
II. DENUDATION - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 30
III. THE ABUNDANCE OF LIFE - - - - - - - - - - - - 60
IV. THE BRIGHT COLOURS OF ALPINE FLOWERS - - - - - 102
V. MOUNTAIN GENESIS - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 116
VI. ALPINE STRUCTURE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 146
VII. OTHER MINDS THAN OURS - - - - - - - - - - - - 162
VIII. THE LATENT IMAGE - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 202
IX. PLEOCHROIC HALOES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 214
X. THE USE OF RADIUM IN MEDICINE - - - - - - - - - 244
XI. SKATING - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 260
XII. A SPECULATION AS TO A PRE-MATERIAL UNIVERSE - 288
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
PLATE I. LAKE OF LUCERNE, LOOKING WEST FROM BRUNNEN -
Frontispiece
PLATE II. "UPLIFTED FROM THE SEAS." CLIFFS OF THE TITLIS,
SWITZERLAND - to face p. 4
PLATE III. AN ALPINE TORRENT AT WORK—VAL D'HERENS,SWITZERLAND -
to face p. 31
PLATE IV. EARTH PILLARS—VAL D'HERENS - to face p. 34
PLATE V. "SCENES OF DESOLATION." THE WEISSHORN SEEN FROMBELLA
TOLA, SWITZERLAND - to face p. 40
PLATE VI. ALLUVIAL CONE—NICOLAI THAL, SWITZERLAND.MORAINE ON
ALETSCH GLACIER SWITZERLAND - to face p. 50
PLATE VII. IN THE REGION OF THE CROCI; DOLOMITES. THEROTHWAND
SEEN FROM MONTE PIANO - to face p. 60
PLATE VIII. FIRS ASSAILING THE HEIGHTS OF THE MADERANERTHAL,
SWITZERLAND - to face p. 73
PLATE IX. LIFE NEAR THE SNOW LINE; THE BOG-COTTON INPOSSESSION.
NEAR THE TSCHINGEL PASS, SWITZERLAND - to face p. 80
PLATE X. THE JOY OF LIFE. THE AMPEZZO THAL; DOLOMITES - toface
p. 93
PLATE XI. "PINES SOLEMNLY QUIET." DÜSSISTOCK; MADERANERTHAL - to
face p. 100
PLATE XII. ALPINE FLOWERS IN THE VALLEYS - to face p. 105
PLATE XIII. ALPINE FLOWERS ON THE HEIGHTS - to face p. 106
PLATE XIV. MOUNTAIN SOLITUDES; VAL DE ZINAL. FROM LEFT TORIGHT
ROTHHORN; BESSO; OBERGABELHORN; MATTERHORN; PIC DE ZINAL(THROUGH
CLOUD); DENT BLANCHE - to face p. 116
ix
PLATE XV. SECTOR OF THE EARTH RISE OF ISOGEOTHERMS INTO ADEPOSIT
EVOLVING RADIOACTIVE HEAT - to face p. 118
PLATE XVI. "THE MOUNTAINS COME AND GO." THE DENT BLANCHESEEN
FROM THE SASSENEIRE - to face p. 133
PLATE XVII. DIAGRAMMATIC SECTIONS OF THE HIMALAYA - to facep.
140
PLATE XVIII. RESIDUES OF DENUDATION. THE MATTERHORN SEEN FROMTHE
SUMMIT OF THE ZINAL ROTHHORN - to face p. 148
PLATE XIX. THE FOLDED ROCKS OF THE MATTERHORN, SEEN FROMNEAR
HÖHBALM. SKETCH MADE IN 1906 - to face p. 156
PLATE XX. SCHIAPARELLI'S MAP OF MARS OF 1882, AND ADDITIONS(IN
RED) OF 1892 - to face p. 166
PLATE XXI. GLOBE OF MARS SHOWING PATH OF IN-FALLING SATELLITE-
to face p. 188
PLATE XXII. CANALS MAPPED BY LOWELL COMPARED WITH CANALSFORMED
BY IN-FALLING SATELLITES - to face p. 192
PLATE XXIII. HALOES IN MICA; CO. CARLOW. HALO IN BIOTITE
CONTAINED IN GRANITE - to face p. 224
PLATE XXIV. RADIUM HALO, MUCH ENLARGED. THORIUM HALO ANDRADIUM
HALO IN MICA - to face p. 228
PLATE XXV. HALO ROUND CAPILLARY IN GLASS TUBE. HALOESROUND
TUBULAR PASSAGES IN MICA - to face p. 230
PLATE XXVI. ALETSCH GLACIER, SWITZERLAND - to face p. 282
PLATE XXVII. THE MIDDLE ALETSCH GLACIER JOINING THE GREATALETSCH
GLACIER. GLACIERS OF THE LAUTERBRUNNEN THAL - to face p. 285
PLATE XX