Geological Observations on South AmericaDarwin, Charles
Science
Geological Observations on South America
Darwin, Charles
Beagle Expedition (1831-1836); Geology -- South America; Mollusks, Fossil -- South America; Paleontology
On the left hand, the lower part (AA) consists of regular, alternating
strata of brown tuffs and greenish laminated mudstone, gently inclined
to the right, and conformably covered by a mass (B left) of a white,
tufaceous and brecciolated deposit. On the right hand, the whole cliff
(BB right) consists of the same white tufaceous matter, which on this
side presents scarcely a trace of stratification, but to the left
becomes very gradually and rather indistinctly divided into strata
quite conformable with the underlying beds (AA): moreover, a few
hundred yards further to the left, where the surface has been less
denuded, the tufaceous strata (B left) are conformably covered by
another set of strata, like the underlying ones (AA) of this section.
In the middle of the diagram, the beds (AA) are seen to be abruptly cut
off, and to abut against the tufaceous non-stratified mass; but the
line of junction has been accidentally not represented steep enough,
for I particularly noticed that before the beds had been tilted to the
right, this line must have been nearly vertical. It appears that a
current of water cut for itself a deep and steep submarine channel, and
at the same time or afterwards filled it up with the tufaceous and
brecciolated matter, and spread the same over the surrounding submarine
beds; the matter becoming stratified in these more distant and less
troubled parts, and being moreover subsequently covered up by other
strata (like AA) not shown in the diagram. It is singular that three of
the beds (of AA) are prolonged in their proper direction, as
represented, beyond the line of junction into the white tufaceous
matter: the prolonged portions of two of the beds are rounded; in the
third, the terminal fragment has been pushed upwards: how these beds
could have been left thus prolonged, I will not pretend to explain. In
another section on the opposite side of a promontory, there was at the
foot of this same line of junction, that is at the bottom of the old
submarine channel, a pile of fragments of the strata (AA), with their
interstices filled up with white tufaceous matter: this is exactly what
might have been anticipated under such circumstances.
(FIGURE 20. GROUND PLAN SHOWING THE RELATION BETWEEN VEINS AND
CONCRETIONARY ZONES IN A MASS OF TUFF.)
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