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By Finn Ouchterlony

A simple bilinear R-curve description of crack extension resistance is applied to the testing of sub-size rock core specimens. The K-curve consists of a linear sub-critical part and a flat post-critical part. Formulas for the apparent energy rate resistance quantities Gm, Jm, and [R] are developed. Experiments on notched cores of Ekeberg marble, Bohus granite, and Stripa granite are compared with these predictions. The R-curve model gives reasonable results for Gm -data but fails essentially to describe the Jm and [R]-data. Another model with a sharply increasing linear post-critical part could possibly account for the [R]-data, but direct R-curve measurements seem a better approach.

Jan 1, 1982

Jan 1, 1932

By W. A. Weimer

Australia, the land of the kangaroo, koala, and the platypus, is often referred to as "down under" by people of the Northern Hemisphere. It is a tropical land and has very little freezing and thawing; consequently the in-place rocks are near the surface, exposing some of the unaltered mineralization. This type of geology induces the prospector and miner to search for minerals which lie at his feet (or not far under them), and it is adapted to open cut surface mining. Some of the rules and regulations applicable to exploration and mining in Australia will be interesting and helpful towards understanding acquisitions and control of minerals. They are common and basic to the United Kingdom. Throughout Australia practically all minerals are the property of the Crown (government), and their exploration and exploitation are administered by the state Department of Mines. Surface owners, or land lessees, do not control the minerals. Their mining codes protect the prospector. If a prospector obtains a permit, "miner's right," it entitles him to search for minerals any place within the state, only holding him responsible for damages he may incur in his exploration. If he finds something of interest, he may then apply for an authority to prospect, which gives greater latitude and protection in his work to develop the find. However, he will be obligated to spend a minimum specified amount to exclusively hold an area. He will be required to furnish maps, analyses, and geological data to the Mines Department. Presuming that he has located something economically valuable for mining, he may then apply for a mining lease or be granted a franchise to produce a specific material. It will contain a quantity clause so that the area cannot be held indiscriminately without production of the mineral. The states have Bureaus of Mineral Resources, Geology, and Geophysics that keep constantly abreast of the search for minerals and often do much of the drilling and deep boring to promote geological study for the states.

Jan 1, 1969

By Aug. J. Jr. Bowie

(Read at the Wilkes-Barre Meeting, May, 1877.) Brief Outline of the General Topography of the Gold Regions of California. THE topographical features of California, as demonstrated by the explorations of the State Geological Survey, are found to be exceedingly simple. Three equidistant parallel lines can be used in conveying a general idea of the physical geography of Central California. A straight or " main axial line," whose course would be north 31° west, passing through the culminating peaks of the Sierra for a distance of five hundred miles, can be assumed as the eastern boundary of the State. A second parallel drawn fifty-five miles west of the " main axial line" will skirt the western base of the Sierra Nevada, along the edge of the foot-hills. A third parallel run equidistant from the second will represent "as nearly as possible the western base of the Coast Ranges." These parallel lines divide the State into three belts, namely, the Sierra, the Great Valley of California, and the Coast Ranges. " This arrangement of the physical features holds good for a length of four hundred miles in the direction of the main axial line, comprising almost the whole of the agricultural and the greater part of the mining districts."* The section of the country which is of immediate interest to the miner is the western slope of the Sierras. These mountains, rising in a short distance from the Sacramento plains to elevations of over seven thousand feet, with occasional peaks ten and twelve thousand feet high, are cut by numerous deep and precipitous gorges or capons, through which drains the immense watershed of the Sierra, supplying the main rivers of the State and ultimately emptying into the Pacific Ocean. Between these capons, ridges or divides are formed, on top of * See vol. i, p. 5, Geological Survey of California. J. D. Whitney, State Geologist.

Jan 1, 1878

Jan 1, 1911

By Harold A. Linke

The following article presents notes and data compiled and computed by the writer for use in the determination of: size and slope of mill launders, details of junction boxes and downspouts, and distribution of pulp. It also includes pulp formulas, volume of discharge through bushings, paths of discharging streams, banking of turns and curves. In the design of a concentrating mill, the draftsman usually considers launders to the extent of providing ample "head" for transmission of pulp from one department of the mill to another. The superintendent of construction aims to build his launders wide and deep, and on a slope steep enough to ensure positive flow. So launders are laid generally on too steep a slope, with the result that the repair gang works to maintain launder bottoms and sides against the erosive action of the conveyed pulp. To this end many kinds of liners have been devised: concrete, mastic, white iron, glass, rubber. True, the reduction of slope to the point where a pulp will flow with minimum wear, will minimize labor and expense; but when the desired slope is not predetermined, the millman hesitates to readjust his launder slopes by cut-and-try methods. To the end that the desired size and slope may be found readily, the writer has: (1) conducted experiments with pulps of different specific gravity, screen analysis and dilution; (2) gathered a few graphic data from standard reference works (such as Peele's Mining Engineer's Handbook and Taggart's Handbook of Ore Dressing); (3) computed several tables; and compiled results that have proved dependable for Utah Copper ore. It is quite possible that the following tables and graphs may not be applicable to all ores, but it is hoped that they may prove helpful, even in slight degree, in alleviating a portion of the trouble and migraine of some other millman. Launder Slopes The main object in the study of launder slopes is to provide grade steep enough to prevent "sanding" by a safe margin, and to avoid

Jan 1, 1943

By W. Rostoker

A STUDY of the titanium-oxygen system' involved an associated series of measurements of the lattice parameters of the a and TiO phases. The results permit some interesting deductions which are herein reported. A comprehensive survey of the physical PI-operties of the phases in this alloy system has been made by Ehrlich.2 However, only impure titanium was available at that time, so that some revision of his measurements is to be expected. The lattice parameters were calculated from the high angle lines of Debye-Scherrer patterns taken in a 14 cm camera and using filtered CuKa radiation. The specimens were prepared largely by crushing and screening of lump samples which had been quenched from elevated temperatures. Only in the case of low oxygen contents was it necessary to resort to filing and annealing. The results of the lattice parameter studies are graphically presented in Figs. 1 and 2. It will be seen that oxygen produces a pronounced distortion of the c parameter of the a phase (hexagonal close-packed). The trend is in general agreement with Ehrlich's work, although the divergence of actual parameter values strongly suggests that his titanium was very impure. It will be noted that the a phase of titanium can tolerate the unusually high saturation solubility of about 34 atomic pct 0. By virtue of this unique effect, it is possible to make a calculation of the effective atomic diameter of oxygen when dissolved in a lattice with metallic bonding. This has not been possible before. Ehrlich's2 density measurements demonstrated that oxygen occupies interstitial positions in the a lattice and the trend of the lattice parameters would certainly support this. In a hexagonal close-packed unit cell the largest interstitial positions lie at (2/3, 1/3, 1/4) and (2/3, 1/3, 3/4). Accordingly, if both of these positions were occupied, the ratio of titanium to oxygen would be 1:1. The extrapolated c parameter may be taken as between 4.93 and 4.99?. The a parameter appears to reach a constant value of 2.955? at low oxygen contents. The distance of the center of a titanium atom site from the [vc2/16+a2/3-1.448] Then the atomic diameter of the oxygen atom is represented by the function: where the radius of the titanium atom is 1.448A,

Jan 1, 1953

By A. F. Buddington

INTRODUCTION EVER since a genetic connection between many ore deposits and magmas began to be widely recognized, some two-score years ago, there has been much discussion of the complex and intricate problem of the genetic association of specific kinds of mineralization with specific kinds of igneous rocks. General discussions of the latter problem and pertinent data have been given by S. F. Emmons, Kemp, Lindgren, Niggli, Rastall, Spurr, Vogt, and others. In this paper no attempt is made to deal with mineral deposits genetically associated with volcanic rocks, but only with those presumed to be related to exposed intrusive masses. The writer is indebted to E. S. Bastin, F. F. Grout, Edward Sampson, and to the members of the committee in charge of the preparation of the volume, for a critical reading of the manuscript and many worth-while suggestions.

Jan 1, 1933

By Charles Barrett

PLASTIC flow in metal crystals and the changes in orientation resulting from it are generally understood to take place by the following funda-mental mechanisms: (1) slip on crystallographic planes, (2) homogeneous crystal rotation resulting from the slip, (3) bending of the lattice between the planes of slip, and, under certain circumstances, (4) twinning. This paper and a preceding one on iron subjected to uniaxial compression1 concern two additional processes that must now be added to this list: (5) the formation of deformation bands, and (6) the bending and rotation of these bands. The present investigation yields a new understanding and definiteness to the common terms so loosely used when speaking of cold-worked metals -"grain fragmentation," "elongated grains," and "deformation twins," "deformation bands," "etch bands," or "X-bands." Bands have been noted on the polished and etched surfaces of cold-worked metals by vari-ous investigators for more than 25 years, ? yet their nature and their significance have been so little understood that they are not treated in the most comprehensive modern texts on the deformation of crystals. The experiments in this series show that they are one of the fundamental processes in the deformation of metals, of importance in the development of preferred orientations, in work-hardening (since they have the effect of reducing the effective grain size and interfering with slip), and in the recrystallization process. The present experiments were performed on the same stock of mate-rial that was used in the earlier compression experiments1-hydrogen-purified mild steel in which the carbon content had been reduced to the limit detectable under the microscope and in which single crystals could be grown by a strain-anneal treatment.2

Jan 1, 1939

By G. R. Green, R. C. McDonald

The International Nickel Co., Ontario Div. mines, faced with rising production requirements, short labor supply, and ever increasing labor costs turned to mechanized mining for a solution to its problems. The degree of mechanization of ore removal has increased from 1966 with the purchase of the first diesel-powered load-haul-dump (LHD) machine to the present, with over 53% of all underground production handled by these units. Keeping pace with mechanized ore removal, there has been a parallel development of drilling equipment to complement the mucking units. This paper deals with the applications and economic advantages of mechanized drilling at the underground mines of Inco, Ontario Div. It covers the use of various types of mechanized drills in such mining methods as cut-and-fill, induced block caving, and sublevel caving. The economics of raise boring are also discussed.

Jan 1, 1974

Jan 1, 1899

By Stanford O. Grodd

The Sanford Lake district encompasses an area covering 24 square miles in the central Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State. Discovery of the titaniferous magnetite deposits dates back to 1826. Several attempts to exploit the ores for iron prior to 1942 proved uneconomical because of difficulties with the associated titanium, lack of transportation facilities, and the isolated location. Since 1942, the National Lead Company has produced ilmenite concentrates for the titanium pigment industry, and a magnetite by-product used in the steel and refractory industries. Rocks of the area are Precambrian in age and of igneous origin. The area has a history of erosion, deformation, and metamorphism, subsidence, and finally uplift and glaciation. The resulting topography is extremely rough with drainage patterns controlled by a combination of fault patterns and glacial modifications. The district is within the large anorthosite massif making up the central high peak area of the Adirondacks. All of the various lowsilica rock types associated with the massif are found within the boundaries of the district. These consist of both the Marcy and Whiteface types of anorthosite and of gabbroic anorthosite, gabbro, and different grades of titaniferous magnetite ores. All of the rocks contain the same minerals and differ only in their percentages of these consitituents. Gabbro, and ore associated with it, demonstrate flow structure as both have foliation and lineation. Anorthosite and its associated ores are massive and show very little primary structure. Minor pegmatites and diabase dikes provide evidence of remobilization in selected areas and of late intrusion as well. Faulting is prevalent and follows a regional pattern of major faults trending northeastsouthwest and of minor faults at nearly right angles to them. There are four mineralized areas where an economic grade of ore has been found. Three of these have both gabbroic-type ore and anorthositic-type ore. The fourth has only gabbroic ore. Ores are graded according to their TiO, content, and these range from 9.5 per cent to over 30.0 per cent TiO,. Ore bodies of both types are related to gabbro and conform to the configuration of the gabbro bodies within the anorthosite. At least three distinct theories of ore genesis have been expounded by different investigators. Others propose some variations of one or more of these. Although complete agreement probably never will be reached, it is certain that no one process of ore emplacement can explain the complicated picture as seen today. Further understanding of the ores and their origin will require detailed mapping, sampling, and mineralogical studies of the entire district, and then it may never be understood without qualification.

Jan 1, 1968

To the American Institute of Mining Engineers: The committee appointed at the February meeting upon Railway Resistances would respectfully report: That one person has been constantly employed in calculating the results of the data taken prior to March 1st, 1876. Also to complete the data taken upon the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railway, a diagram was taken upon a through freight train from Cleveland to Chicago, and one from Chicago to Cleveland. So that now we have diagrams from Buffalo to Chicago and return, which, when fully worked up, will give results of the utmost importance in determining the cost of transportation of freight. These data will be of much importance in determining the proper methods of equating grades and curves, which is so essential in the location of new lines. The calculations show that instead of our attempting to formulate results from data obtained on one road, it will be best for the interests of transportation to enlarge the scope of our inquiries, and to extend the experiments so as to include all of the more probable causes which affect the cost of transportation. Were the details of railway equipment constructed alike, much work, which is now necessary, would be saved. It is not uncommon to find upon the same road 10 to 30 different patterns of something in construction to subserve the same purpose, which more or less modifies the friction of the cars. Take the majority of our trunk lines, with this diversity of construction, together with the varying conditions of track and manner of operating, and it will be at once seen that the labor and time to do the work and arrive at correct conclusions will occupy from two to three years. The results already attained in the short time in which they have been carried on, wholly by private enterprise, simply show what may be expected when the aid necessary is given to render them of the highest value to the great industries of the country. That the information may be general and of the greatest importance to our railway interests, the committee deem it advisable to secure, so

By E. W. Greene, J. B. Duke

This paper deals with the application of froth flotation techniques to the beneficiation of kaolin clay and phosphate slimes, two very fine particle sized materials. The kaolin problem involves the removal of a small amount of a contaminating mineral (anatase), while the phosphate problem involves the concentration and recovery of a much larger percentage of apatite. Due to these differences, and also different response to flotation, the two problems are discussed in separate parts of the article. An idea of what is meant by "Ultrafine Minerals Or Slimes" as used in the title can be had by an examination of Fig. 1. Particle size distributions are presented for a crude kaolin clay, a coarse fraction and a fine fraction. The crude kaolin as mined was blunged with water, degritted through a 325-mesh Tyler screen, and dispersed with sodium silicate. The dispersed crude was then centrifuged in the laboratory into the coarse and fine fractions shown in the figure. The distribution curves were obtained by the well known sedimentation technique of Casa-grande1 using a long arm centrifuge to obtain equiva- lent spherical diameters down to 0.2 p on the finer fraction. Fig. 1 shows the coarse fraction kaolin to be 50% finer than 3 p, while the crude kaolin is 509 f'lner than 1.4 p, and the fine fraction 50% finer than 0.46~. For comparison 53 p on the horizontal scale would represent Stokesian diameters which would just pass a 325-mesh Tyler screen, taking into consideration the Andreasen sieve correction factor of 1.22 times the screen opening. 2 Another helpful comparison is the surface areas, which in square meters per gram, are 0.044 for 53 p particles, 0.77 for 3p, 1.65 for 1.4 p and 5.0 for 0.46 p particles. Fig. 2 is an electron micrograph of a similar fine fraction kaolin showing the hexagonal plate-like particle shapes.

Jan 1, 1962

Jan 1, 1880

By Wilfred Walker

With the advent of the New Global Tectonics a coherent pattern of geology is emerging. To the economic geologist this is of vital concern because the type of mineralization in particular environments is predictable. Developments in geological reasoning now take their place beside developments in geochemistry and geophysics. Much is known of the worldwide geography of the Alpine orogenic period because it is now ending its 200 million years of existence, starting with the Jurassic, and we can see the mid-ocean rises and the down flow zones, and between them the stable oceanic and continental platforms. The concepts of mantle cells, the spreading sea floor, and continental drift have gained general acceptance. The oceanographers have demonstrated the uprises like that in the mid-Atlantic. In this paper it is suggested that down flows in the oceans are marked by island arcs, like the West Indies; and down flows in the continents are marked by orogens like the American Cordillera. The number and position of mantle cells is controversial: a total of about 16 cells is suggested in this paper. Certain cells expand, and as they carry continents with them give rise to concepts of plate tectonics. Specific types of mineral deposits are associated with the uprises, oceanic and continental platforms, and down flows. The uprises are accompanied by the currently described Red Sea and Salton Sea deposits, the oceanic parts of the platform have the nodular deposits, and the continental platforms have the post-tectonic deposits. However, most economic metal deposits are associated with the down flow zones in which the stage of geosynclinal development controls the type of deposit: (1) In the initial development stage the simatic upper mantle may be tapped and give rise to the volcanogenic massive base metal sulfide deposits and to the ophiolite suite which characteristically carries nickel, chrome, and cupreous pyrite. (2) In the early geosynclinal stage sialic crust is driven down into the simatic magma of the upper mantle and basic to acidic differentiates give rise to stocks accompanied by skarn and hydrothermal deposits. (3) The intermediate stage of geosynclinal development gives rise to tin-tungsten, lithium, and beryllium deposits as the magma chamber rises above the level of the upper mantle and there is no simatic component. (4) The late stage is one of regenerated deposits. The porphyry deposits are not restricted to stages but only by the time of generation of acid magma. As the geosynclinal system dies, the mantle is again the source of magma, giving rise to gabbro and diabase dykes and sills: in this last, post-tectonic, continental platform environment are found the Mississippi Valley type lead-zinc deposits, the Blind River and Witwatersrand type of sedimentary uranium and gold deposits, and also Sudbury's nickel. The key relationship of major ore deposits generated by downflows is depicted herein on a framework of uprises, platforms, and downflows in the Alpine orogenic period. There is evidence for nine orogenic periods, of which the Alpine period is the latest, having taken place from 3500 million years ago to the present. Each period was characterized by its own worldwide mantle cell system and associated uprises, platforms, and down flows. The cycle of geosynclinal development, including corresponding cycles of mineralization, can be precisely defined in relation to each of these orogenic periods. The development of the Alpine orogenic period therefore can be used as a guide to the study of the earlier orogenic periods which comprise well known periods: Kenoran, Hudsonian, Grenville, and Paleozoic; and less well known: Konkian, Aulian, Belomorian, and Elsonian [(Table 1)]. Each name is used for the period as a whole, and not for the main orogenic event.

Jan 1, 1973

By A. E. Harnsberger

IT is obvious that details such as the physical and chemical properties and methods of heat-treating of the materials mentioned must be omitted in a paper on the subject of materials used in oil-refinery pumps1. Only sufficient identification is given to enable the reader to find additional information from already published data. Also, the subject covers many operating conditions, but only the most important services can be discussed here. To the oil refiner, the pumping equipment is of vital interest. Practi-cally every refinery operation, from the charging of crude oil to a dis-tillation unit to the shipping of refined products, involves some form of pumping machinery. Intermediate refining stages involve a great variety of pumping machinery to carry out successfully the aims of the refinery technologist. Temperatures at which oils are handled vary from -50° F. to 900° F. Pressure may vary from subatmospheric to 2000 lb. per, sq. inch. The selection of the proper materials involves a careful consideration of the conditions under which the particular pump must operate. The four most important considerations are temperature, pressure, corrosion, and abrasion or wear. Consideration of temperature may be divided into three parts: (1) extremely low temperatures of the order of -50° F.; (2) temperatures at atmospheric or slightly above; (3) temperatures from 200° to 900° F. Pressures fall into two groups: (1) pressures reached by ordinary trade pumps of the order of 200 lb. per sq. in., (2) extreme pressure conditions involving pressures as high as 2000 lb. Noncorrosive and corrosive oils can be treated differently. Under the latter falls corrosion in the presence of water, which will occur up to 250° F. The second type of corrosion occurs in high-temperature pump-ing equipment, with temperatures from 450° to 900° F., largely caused by sulfur compounds. There are also other corrosive conditions met with

Jan 1, 1935

By E. V. Foran

The repressuring of oil-producing formations during the flush stage of production, although requiring primarily the same procedure as operations on formations where the gas pressure has been depleted, offers several advantages of major importance, the value of which has not heretofore been demonstrated. It is the purpose of this paper to present an account of some recent operations of this character and the economic effects on the properties where they were applied. The principal objective in all repressuring operations is to secure an effective diffusion of the input energy to all parts of the producing sand. If this can be accomplished, success is assured during the remainder of the life of the property; if not, it will be temporary only and will be followed by difficulties, .and the maximum possible recovery will not be obtained. During the past year in Texas, the Cook pool in Shackelford County, and the Turbeville pool in Archer County, while still in their flush stage of production, have been subjected to repressuring operations to observe their reaction to this process during the early stage of their productive periods. The repressuring operations carried on in each of these pools will be discussed separately in this paper in order to show peculiarities which were present in one pool but were not observed in the other. Turbeville Pool The Turbeville pool is in Archer County, about 30 rniles south of Wichita Falls. The productive sand varies in thickness from 10 to 30 ft., the average being about 16 ft. The depth of the sand varies from 1450 to 1530 ft. The developed productive area to date is approximately 200 acres, but the limits of the pool have not yet been proved. The sand varies considerably in different parts of the pool with respect to both porosity and permeability. The gravity of the oil varies from 39 to 41° A. P. I. There were some wells which flowed for a few days after completion but during 1927 all production was secured by pumping. The

Jan 1, 1928

By J. W. Matousek, C. S. Samis

me thermodynamic properties of the components in the Cu-Ni-S ternary system have been studied by measuring the H2S/H2 ratios in a gas phase equilibrated with the molten matte at 1200°C. The measured sulficr potentials have been extended by extrapolation and combtned with previously published data to permit the thermodynamic analysis of the ternary system by integration techniques. A simplifying assumption of ideality in the Ni3Sz-CuS pseudobinary has been made. SINCE copper and nickel metals were first extracted from their sulfide ores the interaction between the two metals and sulfur has been of industrial and theoretical interest. The processes developed to extract copper and nickel have been reported periodically in the literature. The theoretical studies on the Cu-Ni-S ternary have been restricted to problems directly associated with production. It is only within recent years that the binary systems related to this ternary have been analyzed thermodynamically and mathematical devices developed to permit a corresponding treatment of the ternary system. In 1910 an investigation of the role of nickel in Cu-Ni-Fe-S mattes was reported,' It was concluded from this work that nickel is not an element replacing iron in mattes, but rather that Cu-Ni alloys behave as a single metal during the matte converting operation. The laws which govern the converting of Cu-Ni alloys were found to be the same laws as those that govern the conventional converting of copper alone. Although considerable information has been reported on the theoretical aspects of copper smelting, little data is available on the smelting of Cu-Ni ores except for phase diagrams and process descriptions. The available information on the Cu-Fe-S ternary and related systems prior to 1953 has been summarized by Ruddle.2 Since Ruddle's publication, Rosenqvist and coworkers have completed phase equilibria investigations of the Fe-S, Co-S, and Ni-S binaries,3 the Fe-S-O ternary,4 and the Cu-Fe-S-O quaternary.4 An extensive investigation of the Cu-Fe-S ternary system at smelting temperatures has been made by Krivsky and Schuhmann.5 At these temperatures, the Cu-Fe-S system is very similar to the Cu-Ni-S ternary with respect to the location of the single-phase and two-phase liquid matte regions. In the former, however, the area of immiscibility is more extensive and the region of liquid matte-liquid metal-solid metal equilibria is much more extensive. Krivsky and Schumann observed that the Cu2S-FeS pseudobinary system is, for practical purposes, an ideal mixture. This investigation has served as a valuable guide in analyzing the Cu-Ni-S ternary. EXPERIMENTAL The experimental procedure employed in this investigation was the conventional technique of equilibration of the sulfide matte with gaseous mixtures of hydrogen and hydrogen sulfide at 1200°C. The thermodynamic properties of sulfur (S2) in the gas phase are determined by means of Eq. [I] and the activity of sulfur in the matte by Eq. [2].

Jan 1, 1963

By Jack A. Simon, M. E. Hopkins

GENERAL GEOLOGY Coal is defined as a combustible rock that had its origin in the accumulation and physical and chemical alteration of vegetation. Coal can be ignited and burned like the wood that was man's earliest fuel, but coal gives more heat than the same amount of wood and has many industrial uses. Unlike wood, coal is not generally found on the surface of the ground but is mined from the solid rock of the earth. Before taking up the occurrence, formation, and the somewhat unique character of coal in the rock sequence, let us briefly consider the general character of all rocks in the crust of the earth. Relatively little is known about the very earliest history of the earth, although a number of logical theories have been developed. Manned exploration of the moon and the rocks being returned to earth will, we hope, provide some answers to questions concerning the earth's origin and history. The period of earth history with which we concern ourselves here begins after great areas of water had evolved on earth and substantial land areas of once molten (igneous) rock existed. Weathering and other processes that attacked the surface of the rocks reduced them to small particles. Water provided by rainfall transported this material, ultimately, to large bodies of water where it was deposited. Thus was initiated the geologic sequence of sedimentary rocks that lie above the once molten igneous rocks. The crust of the earth is not completely stable, and throughout the geologic past portions of the crust have moved laterally and vertically. Even today, many coastal areas are slowly rising or sinking. More sudden earth movements are recognized by the earthquakes they cause. Throughout geologic history, rises in sea level or the sinking of the land areas have many times permitted the oceans to cover much of what are now the areas of the continents. Only relatively small parts of the present continents appear to have been above sea level throughout geologic time. Great

Jan 1, 1973