The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. I., No. 3, July, 1889Various
Science
The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. I., No. 3, July, 1889
Various
Geography -- Periodicals
the following may be mentioned: Delaware and Warrior runs,
Chillisquaque creek and Little Shamokin creek, all in Northumberland
county. It may be remarked that it does not seem impossible that the
reason for the more distinct deflection of the western streams may be
that the Susquehanna is at present east of its old course, and hence
towards the eastern margin of its flood plain, as, indeed its position
on the Pocono synclinals implies. A reason for the final location of
the superimposed river on the eastern side of the old flood plain may
perhaps be found in the eastward tilting that is known to have
accompanied the elevation of the Cretaceous lowland.
It follows from the foregoing that the present lower course of the
Susquehanna must also be of superimposed origin; for the flood plain of
the middle course must have extended down stream to its delta, and
there have become confluent with the sheet of Cretaceous sediments that
covered all the southeastern lowland, over which the sea had
transgressed. McGee has already pointed out indications of superimposed
stream courses in the southeastern part of the State;[22] but I am not
sure that he would regard them as of the date here referred to.
[Footnote 22: Amer. Journ. Science, xxxv, 1888, 121, 134.]
The theory of the location of the Susquehanna on the Pocono synclinal
ridges therefore stands as follows. The general position of the river
indicates that it has been located by some process of slow
self-adjusting development and that it is not a persistent antecedent
river; and yet there is no reason to think that it could have been
brought into its present special position by any process of shifting
divides. The processes that have been suggested to account for its
special location, as departing slightly from a location due to slow
adjustments following an ancient consequent origin, call for the
occurrence of certain additional peculiarities in the courses of its
tributary streams, entirely unforeseen and unnoticed until this point
in the inquiry is reached; and on looking at the map to see if they
occur, they are found with perfect distinctness. The hypothesis of
superimposition may therefore be regarded as having advanced beyond the
stage of mere suggestion and as having gained some degree of
confirmation from the correlations that it detects and explains. It
only remains to ask if these correlations might have originated in any
other way, and if the answer to this is in the negative, the case may
be looked upon as having a fair measure of evidence in its favor. The
remaining consideration may be taken up at once as the first point to
be examined in the Tertiary cycle of development.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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