Norwegian Geology

Abstract

THE attention of geologists in all parts of the world has for some years been concentrated upon the crystalline schists, which have so long presented insuperable difficulties to those who would explore their origin. Little by little the darkness has been rising from these ancient foundation stones of the earth's crust; and though a long time must probably still elapse before their history can be even approximately sketched, there can be no doubt that we are now at last on the right road of investigation. Fresh evidence is continually being obtained from the most widely-separated regions, and each additional body of facts goes to support the view that the schistose rocks are the records of gigantic terrestrial displacements, whereby portions of the crust have been pushed over each other, and so crushed and deformed as to acquire new internal rock-structures. Out of these mechanical movements, with their accompanying chemical transformations, a true theory of metamorphism will no doubt eventually be evolved. In the meantime it is too soon to generalize; what we need is a far larger mass of observations. The subject is a wide one, for it involves the labours of the field-geologist, the petrographer, the mineralogist, the chemist, and the physicist. And only by the united exertions of these fellow-workers can we hope for good progress and solid results.

Bömmelöen og Karmöen med Omgivelser.

Geologisk beskrevne af Dr. Hans Reusch. (Kristiania: Published by the Geological Survey of Norway, 1888.)