VII. On the distribution of strain in the Earth's crust resulting from secular cooling; with special reference to the growth of continents and the formation of mountain chains

Abstract

(l) The reasoning of this paper is based upon the results of Sir W. Thomsons and Professor G. H. Darwin’s well-known and independent researches on the rigidity of the Earth, upon Sir W. Thomson’s investigation on the secular cooling of the Earth, and, lastly, upon the beautiful contraction theory of mountain evolution which these researches lead up to and support. Its objects are to determine the distribution of strain in a solid globe resulting from secular cooling, and to examine the effects which this distribution must have upon the form of the great features of the Earth's surface. In the first part of the paper I shall suppose the Earth to be bounded by a smooth spherical surface, and to be made up of a very great number of very thin concentric spherical shells, each shell being so thin that the loss of heat throughout it may be considered uniform. In the latter part the effects of inequalities on the Earth's surface upon the results so obtained will be alluded to. The argument urged against the contraction theory by the Rev. Osmond Fisher will also be incidentally considered.