Abstract

Attaching himself to his earlier investigations, the author gives a new interpretation of mountain building and associated phenomena on the basis of his earth expansion theory. The geosynclinal phase of mountain building is connected with deep fractures accompanied by deep-sea troughs, isostatic anomalies and andesitic volcanism. On the other hand, the phase of emergence is accompanied by phenomena observable in the graben areas, which in their turn are connected with shallow-focus earthquakes and basaltic volcanism. Folding is brought about in and immediately after the geosynclinal phase by the lateral pressure of the intruding magma masses, and later on by the gliding by gravity of the accumulated sediments.