A Treatise on Geology

by John Phillips (1800-1874)

CONTENTS.

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PREFACE
CHAPTER I.
INTRODUCTORY VIEWS.
	Page
Objects of Geological Science	1
Means of Geological Investigation	6
Scale of Geological Time	8
Series of Stratified Rocks	9
Lapse of Time inferred from the Nature of the Series of Rocks	10
Antiquity of the Surface	11
Nature of the Scale of Time	12
Terms of the Scale of Geological Time	12
Series of Terms on the Scale of Geological Time	14
Interruptions in the Series of Time	16
Length of the Scale of Time	17
Means of Investigation of Facts	18
Means of Interpretation of Phenomena	20
CHAP. II.
GENERAL REASONINGS CONCERNING THE SUBSTANCE OF THE GLOBE.
Chemical Data as to the exterior Parts of the Earth	23
Proportions per cent, of Oxygen in Earths, Minerals, and Rocks	24
Physical Data as to the interior Constitution of the Earth	26
Mass of the Globe, whence derived	28
CHAP. III.
GENERAL TRUTHS CONCERNING THE STRUCTURE OF THE EXTERNAL PARTS OF THE GLOBE.
Structure of the external Parts of the Globe	33
Forms of Rock Masses	35
Position of Rocks. Declination of Strata	36
Local Declinations and unusual Positions of Strata	39
Faults	40
Extent and Frequency of Faults	42
Relation of Faults, Mineral Veins, Dikes, &c. to the great Lines of disturbed Rocks	44
Origin of stratified and unstratified Rocks	45
Relative Periods of disturbed Stratification	49
CHAP. IV.
SERIES OF STRATIFIED ROCKS.
Sections and Maps of Strata	53
Table of British stratified Deposits	54
Varieties of Stratification	59
Divisional Structures of Rocks	62
Geographical Relations of Joints	65
Cleavage	67
CHAP. V.
ORGANIC REMAINS OF PLANTS AND ANIMALS.
Fossil Plants	69
Table of their Geological Distribution	73
Fossil Zoophyta	73
Table of certain Groups	76
Fossil Mollusca	77
Table of proportionate Number of Species at different Geological Periods	80
Table of proportionate Number of Species in the different Orders or Classes of Mollusca in different Geological Periods	81
Table of Genera containing many living Species of Gasteropoda	82
Table of Genera containing many Fossil Species of Conchifera	83
Table of Genera of Cephalopoda	83
Table of Subgenera of Ammonites	84
Articulated Animals	84
Table of Crustacea	85
Fossil Fishes	86
Agassiz's. Classification of Fishes	88
Table	90
Fossil Reptiles	91
Owen's System of Fossil Saurians	92
Fossil Birds	95
Fossil Mammalia	95
Marsupial of Stonesfield	97
Table of Mammalia	99
General Considerations	100
CHAP. VI.
HISTORICAL VIEW OF THE STRATIFIED ROCKS IN THE CRUST OF THE EARTH.
Introductory Remarks	107
Granitic Basis of the Crust of the Earth	108
Granite Veins	109
Metamorphism of Rocks	110
Hypozoic Strata.
Gneiss and Mica Schist System	111
Composition	111
Lamination	114
Stratification	115
Succession and Thickness of its Strata	117
Organic Life	118
Extent of Country occupied by	119
Physical Geography	120
Igneous Rocks	121
General Inference concerning	122
Palæozoic Strata.
Lower Cambrian System of Sedgwick	124
Composition	125
Structure	126
Cleavage	128
Succession of its Strata	128
Organic Remains	131
Geographical Extent	132
Physical Geography	133
Igneous Rocks	134
Silurian System of Murchison	136
Composition	136
Structure	136
Succession and Thickness of its Strata	138
Table of the Strata	139
Organic Remains	140
Tables of ditto	141-144
Figures of ditto	145
Geographical Extent	146
Figure exhibiting ditto	147
Physical Geography	148
Igneous Rocks	148
Mineral Veins	149
Close of the Silurian Period, and ensuing Disturbances of the Crust of the Globe	149
Figures exhibiting ditto	151-153
Devonian System	154
Composition	154
Organic Remains	156
Tables exhibiting ditto	157
Figures of ditto	158-159
Geographical Extent	160
Carboniferous System	162
Composition	162
Structure	160
Figures of ditto	164-165
Succession and Thickness of its Strata	166
Organic Remains	170
Figures of ditto	171,173,175
Physical Geography	175
Geographical Extent	177
Igneous Rocks	184
General View of the Circumstances under which the Carboniferous System was deposited	186
Extent of British Coal Fields under superior Strata Disturbances of the Carboniferous System	193
Figures illustrating ditto	194-195
Permian System (Magnesian Limestone Series of England)	195
Composition	196
Structure of its Deposition	197
Divisional Planes	197
Succession and Thickness of its Strata	197
Organic Remains	198
Table of ditto	199
Figures of ditto	200
Table of Fauna of	201
Geographical Extent	202
Mesozoic Strata.
Triassic System (Part of Saliferous of former Editions)	203
Composition	203
Organic Remains	205
Geographical Extent	206
Physical Geography	208
Igneous Rocks	208
Origin and Aggregation of the Materials of the Triassic and Permian Systems	209
Origin of Rock Salt and Gypsum	210
Oolitic System	214
Composition	214
Structure	217
Divisional Planes	217
Series of Strata	218
Table exhibiting ditto	219
Figures illustrating ditto	220-221
Organic Remains	222
Tables of ditto	222-224
Figures of ditto	224-225
Geographical Extent	226
Figure of ditto	229
Physical Geography	230
Figure illustrating ditto	230
General Review of the System	231
Cretaceous System	233
Composition	233
Stratification	235
Succession of its Strata	236
Organic Remains	237
Figures of ditto	238-240
Geographical Extent	240
Physical Geography	242
Igneous Rocks	243
Close of the Secondary Period, and ensuing Disturbances of the Crust of the Globe	244
Cainozoic or Tertiary Strata.. (Supercretaceous Deposits, &c.)	249
Composition	250
Structure and Stratification	251
Divisional Planes	252
Succession and Thickness of its Strata	252
Freshwater Formations	254
Geographical Extent and Physical Geography	260
Organic Remains	264
In Marine Deposits	272
In Lacustrine and Lignitic Deposits of known Era	273
In Lacustrine Deposits of doubtful Era	275
Figures of ditto	275
Disturbing Movements during and after the Tertiary Period	276
Post-Tertiary and Modern Strata (including Pleistocene and other Deposits)
View of the Relation of these to Tertiary Strata	278
Classification of	281
Detrital Deposits	281
Erratic Block Group	283
Ossiferous Gravel, Pebbly Clay, Sand, &c.	298
Ossiferous Caves and Fissures	303
General Table of Vertebral Remains in Post-Tertiary Accumulations	304
Description of Caverns	310
General Considerations on "Diluvial" Phenomena	316
Zoological and Botanical Character of "Diluvial" Period	319
Ancient Marine Deposits	321
Raised Beaches	321
Change of Level of Land adjoining the Baltic	324
Marine Deposits in Progress	329
Coral Reefs	329
Mr. Stutchbury's Views of	330
Mr. Darwin, on Coral Islands	333
Shell Beds	336
Classes of Shells	340
Banks of Sand, Clay, Gravel, &c.	341

CONTENTS.

TO

THE SECOND VOLUME.

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CHAPTER VI.─continued.
HISTORICAL VIEW OF STRATIFIED ROCKS.
	Page
Post-Tertiary Strata, continued.
Fluviatile and Lacustrine Deposits	1
Ancient Valley Formations	2
Fluviatile Deposits in	3
Rock Terraces in	6
Fluviatile Deposits	8
Waste of the Earth's Surface	9
Effects of Rain	10
Effects of Frost	11
Effects of Springs	19
Effects of Rivers	20
Lakes on the Course of Rivers	23
Deep Lakes on the Course of a River	24
New Lands at the Mouths of Rivers	27
Estuary and Shore Deposits	31
Lacustrine Deposits	36
Classification of Fossil Mammalia	39
Eocene or Lower Tertiary Period	41
Organic Remains of the Paris Basin	41
Organic Remains of the Quarries of Binstead	42
Middle Tertiary Period	43
Fossil Remains of the upper Freshwater Beds of the Paris Basin	43
Organic Remains of various Freshwater Beds	44-47
Lakes of the Pleiocene and Diluvial Period	48
Fossil Mammalia of the upper Val d'Arno	48
Series of Deposits in the upper Val d'Arno	49
Series of Deposits at Bielbecks	50
Organic Remains at Bielbecks	50
Fossil Shells of the Valley of the Thames	51
Charlesworth's Classification of Mammaliferous Strata	52
Modern Lacustrine Deposits	53
Analysis of the Deposition	55
Subterranean and Submarine Forests	57
Buried Trees on the Course of a River	57
Series of Beds associated with Tin Ore at Sandrycock, Cornwall	60
Turf Moors	62
Antiquity of Subterranean Forests	64
General Considerations	68
CHAP. VII.
UNSTRATIFIED ROCKS IN THE CRUST OF THE EARTH.
General Remarks	71
Igneous Origin	71
Geological Age	72
Composition	72
Mineral Composition of Unstratified Rocks	80
Scrope's Synopsis of Volcanic Rocks.─Trachyte	83
Greystone.─Basalt	84
Elements of the Old Rocks of Fusion.─Division I. Felspathic	84
Division II.─Hornblende, Augite, &c Felspathic	84
Division III. Hornblendic, Augitic, &c.	85
Mixed Rocks	86
Gradations among Igneous Rocks	87
Chemical Composition of the Rocks of Igneous Origin	90
Analysis of Minerals in Igneous Products	91
Table of Varieties of Mica	92
Table of Varieties of Granite	92
Table of Varieties of Sienite	93
Table of Combinations of Felspar	93
Analysis of Serpentine	94
Table of Felspathic Compounds analogous to Granite	94
Analyses of Pumice, compact Lava of Calabria, Basalt	95
Exterior Forms of the Masses of Igneous Rocks	95
Interposed Beds	95
Overlying Masses	97
Fissures	97
Dykes	98
Veins	99
Internal Divisions of Igneous Rocks	108
Phenomena Observed where Igneous Rocks come in contact with Stratified Masses	109
Induration of Stratified Rocks	109
Alteration of the Structure of Rocks by Heat	111
Metamorphic Rocks	125
Re-arrangement of the Particles of Rocks	126
Alteration of the Chemical Nature of Rocks	131
Dolomitic Limestone	133
Generation of New Minerals	136
Metamorphic Slates	139
Succession of Metamorphic Slates	140
Metamorphic Mica Schist, Gneiss, &c.	143
Relative Antiquity of Pyrogeuous Rocks	145
Table of the Principal Disturbances of the Stratification of the British Islands, with the Igneous Rocks observed in connection therewith	152
Class I.─Before the Deposition of Old Red Sandstone	152
Class II.─Before the Deposition of the Lias	153
Class III.─Before the Deposition of the Lower Green Sand	154
Class IV.─Since the Deposition of the Chalk	154
CHAP. VIII.
MINERAL VEINS.
Remarks	155
Geographical Distribution	156
Occurrence of Mineral Veins near Centres of Igneous Action	159
Relations of Veins to the Substance and Structure of the Neighbouring Rocks	163
Relation of Veins to each other	171
First Class.─Oldest Tin Veins	171
Second Class.─More recent Tin Lodes	171
Third Class.─Oldest East and West Copper Lodes	172
Fourth Class.─Contra Copper Lodes	172
Fifth Class.─Cross Courses	173
Sixth Class.─More recent Copper Lodes	173
Seventh Class.─Cross Flukans	173
Eighth Class.─Slides	173
Deposits of Metallic Veins in Cornwall	174
Theory of Mineral Veins	177
Veins are of posterior Date to the Rocks which they traverse	178
Description of Huel Peever Vein	180
Origin of Vein Fissures	188
Filling of the Fissures	192
Recapitulation	196
CHAP. IX.
MODERN EFFECTS OF HEAT ON THE GLOBE.
	Page
Remarks	200
Volcanic Action	201
Origin of Volcanos	202
Volcanos in Action	208
Dispersion of Ashes, Stones, Mud, &c.	213
Extinction of Volcanos	216
Extinct Volcanos	220
Geographical Distribution of Volcanos.	221
Asiatic Volcanos	227
American Volcanos	229
African Volcanos	231
Australian	232
Indian Ocean	232
Pacific Ocean	232
Geological Age of Volcanos	233
Volcanic Eruption Forces.─Earthquakes	234
Ejection of Ashes and Stones	235
New Mountains formed	236
New Islands raised	236
Earthquakes	242
Hypotheses of Volcanic Action	248
Thermal Springs	252
Warm Springs of the British Islands, yielding Nitrogen, &c.	255
Warm Springs of a Part of Germany, &c., yielding Carbonic Acid, &c.	256
Warm Springs of the Pyrenees	256
Warm Springs of Volcanic Countries	257
Summary of their Geological Relations to existing Volcanos	259
Experimental Inquiries into the Heat of the Globe	262
First Class of Experiments.—Metalliferous Veins	270
Tables of Temperatures of Water at different Depths in the Mines of Freyberg	270
Account of Temperatures of Water at different Depths in various Countries	271
Second Class of Experiments.—Stratified Rocks	272
Account of the Temperatures of Water at various Depths in different Mines	273
Cordier's Summary of Observations in the Coal Mines of Carmeaux, Littry, and Decise	274
Summary of Observations on Subterranean Temperatures in Rocks	275
Third Class of Experiments.—Artesian Wells	276
Tables of Temperatures of Water, with Mean Results	276
CHAP. X.
STATE OF GEOLOGICAL THEORY.
	Page
General Observations	277
Physical Geography	286
Distribution of Land and Sea	286
Heights and Depths	288
Displacements of Stratified Rocks	289
Direction	292
Production of Longitudinal Fissures	299
Formation of Transverse Fissures	300
Formation of Fissures in a Conical Elevation	300
Faults	301
Periods of Ordinary and Critical Action	301
Primary Period.—Carboniferous Period	302
Oolitic and Cretaceous.—Periods Eocene Period of Mr. Lyell	303
Modern Period of Ordinary Action	304
Climate	305
Conclusion	315
CHAP. XI.
POPULAR VIEWS AND ECONOMICAL APPLICATIONS OF GEOLOGY.
Introductory Remarks	317
Aspect of the Earth's Surface	319
Outline of Land and Sea	320
Undulations of the Interior	322
Scenery	324
Economical Applications of Geology	326
Agriculture	326
Construction of Roads, Railways, Canals, &c.	329
Building Materials	330
Coal and other Mineral Products	331
INDEX.