Volcanoes and Radio-activity

Abstract

IN the Popular Science Monthly for June Major Dutton has an interesting article on the above subject, which was noticed in a recent issue of NATURE. Having been occupied lately with the study of volcanoes in connection with a more general inquiry into the cause of earthquakes, it occurs to me to point out that Major Dutton has overlooked the recognised distribution of volcanoes about the sea coast, which seems completely to invalidate his theory. If radium, which the researches of the Hon. R. J. Strutt have shown to be so abundant in typical rocks of the earth's crust, such as granite, were an exciting cause of volcanic activity, we should expect to find an abundance of active volcanoes in the interior of continents, such as the United States, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, and Brazil, which is contrary to observation.