THE EARTH'S INSTABILITY.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXIX, Issue 7731, 26 February 1909, Page 2

THE EARTH'S INSTABILITY.

Per Press Association—Copyright,

MELBOURNE, February- 25. ~Mr Barradhi, Government Alstronomcr, referring to Professor Hecker's discovery, said that Professor Hecker was at one time m Australia, taking observations m the Pacific to determine relative variations m gravity. Professor Hecker informed him that an instrument he had made had been m position since 1902, and accurate records of the minutest variations had been obtained by means of photography. Mr Barrachi added :—"Such discoveries as Professor Hecker's may have a most profound bearing upon our knowledge of earthquakes, and possibly enable scientists to anticipate these dreadful calamities."- ;

(The following is the message referred to: BERLIN, February 24. Professor Hecker, at Potsdam, after six years' observations, states that the measure of the diurnal oscillations of the solid earth is analogous to the tides, rising and falling eight inches. Sir George Darwin and the Kimberley Observatory confirm this, though the latter doubts that the tidal rise and fall are analogous. In further reference to the subject, it may be said that Professor Milne, the well-known English observer, stated some time ago that along some of the earthquake flaws m the world's surface there was a continual . regular movement', corresponding with night and day, or the extra weight of air and water which was above one side of the flaw at one time, and absent during the other. He also "found- that two valleys m the Isle of Wight, m which he conducted investigations, behaved like flowers, opening when the sun was shining, and closing at night; that is to say, the heights were closer to each other during the night than during the day. Professor Milne put this down to the collection m the valley bed at night of an immense weight of water (sucked m by vegetation.