Glock, Waldo S.

The Ohio Journal of Science

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AN ANALYSIS OF PLANATIONAL TERMS—AN ADDITION.*WALDO S. GLOCK,Ohio State University.A paper under a somewhat different titlef published in1928 has aroused comments chiefly of two types: the onequestions etymology and the other desires exact definitions ofthe terms considered in the original report.An introductory word on terms in general may not be amiss.A non-progressive science has little need for new terms. Butin an advancing science new phenomena will come under notice;new ideas will be born; new relations will become evident;and facts already known will gradually break up into partseasily differentiated once they are recognized. An idea can-not become useful public property until it is christened; itcannot be handled, inspected, tested, talked about, circum-scribed, and related until a name brings to focus the light ofindividuality and separate entity. However, the term of thehighest value is the one that makes possible the recognition of anew phenomenon or conception for the first time, and fostersits detailed study. If a name thus calls attention to a processwhich would otherwise go unnoticed it has served a very usefulpurpose indeed.The caution employed in regard to the introduction of anew term should be equaled only by the care exercised in itssubsequent use. A few of the tests to which a term should besubjected are as follows: first, it must be a step forward in anadvancing science; second, progress has discovered an ideaand its corresponding phenomenon and a new term is necessaryto facilitate recognition and development; and third, the termproposed should so delineate, clarify, and etch into relief theidea or fact that both will be instantly recognized in all theirrelationships. Utility and expressiveness should be the criticaltests. The striking connotation and the clear-cut emphasissurrounding a well-chosen term may be illustrated aptly by the* Presented at the annual meeting of the Ohio Academy of Science, April19, 1930.f An analysis of erosional terms: Amer. Jour. Sci., XV, 471-483.199200 WALDO s. CLOCK Vol. XXXwords "island universe" in astronomy, "barchane" in physio-graphy, "dinosaur" in paleontology, and "electron" in physics,to mention only a few. The entrance of the word "barchane"into a discussion, for instance, arouses a definite mental picturedefinitive, descriptive, and causative—the term is particularlyrich in suggestion. How great the difference between barchaneand dune!* Names symbolical of a rich and precise nomen-clature not only should aid the advancement of science butshould also placard the steps of progress as they appear beforeus.Let it be stated that the proposals were made not with theidea of creating an omnibus of terms to plague elementarystudents but with the purpose of emphasizing and perhaps,predicting the trend and ramifications of physiography inrelation to other phases of geology. The terms were proposedmore particularly for the purpose of making it possible to directattention upon certain processes from the standpoint either ofphysiography or of sedimentation, to isolate each process undera separate name so that its own peculiar characteristics standout with utmost distinctness, and to promote an intensiveanalysis of the nature and method of that process.It may be argued that a single word is sufficient to cover anumber of roughly similar processes, e.g., corrasion for thedestructive activities of streams, glaciers, and the wind. Yetwho would wish to discard the word "plucking," a term ofgreat utility and vividness of expression. After the samefashion abrasion by glaciers contrasts sharply with corrasion bystreams in nature, method, and results. A further remark on thesignificance inherent in the type of term suggested will suffice,perhaps, to illustrate geologic utility. Does mariposition, forexample, merit our attention? Why not use marine deposition?Strictly speaking, marine deposition means deposited in or bythe sea—a rather loose definition on the whole. Mari position,on the contrary, signifies sea deposited, the agent beingspecifically designated. Sediments completely reworked bythe sea and then subjected to mariposition receive the impressof a pure marine environment whereas those placed in the seaand scarcely touched by it receive much slighter indicationsof true marine surroundings. In the first case the sea is the* W. M. Davis tells us that the Arabs have different names for dunes ofdifferent shapes. Essays, page 54.No. 3 PLANATIONAL TERMS 201active agent while in the second it is the passive receiver,surely a fact of significance to sedimentation.The definitions below are appended in answer to the secondcomment mentioned in the initial paragraph. The scheme ofterms refers exclusively to the physiographic processes and notto the surface forms. The usage of "erosion," it may be added,excludes "weathering" and restricts the word to a subjectinherently active and mobile. Erosion comprehends motion;it represents part of the strikingly dynamic interlude, involvingspace translation, between original and derived physiographicforms.I. PLANATION. Planation refers to the geologic activities of allthe physiographic processes at work on the surface of thelithosphere tending to bring that surface to a common level.II. EROSION. Erosion includes the acquisition of load by thephysiographic agents of transportation, the actual transporta-tion of the material, and the destruction of topographic formsand comminution of rock materials because of such transporta-tion.III. EOLATION. (Latin Aeolus, god of the winds; -ationem, orFrench -ation, that which is made or done by. Hence, "thatwhich is done by the wind".) Eolation includes all thedirect geologic activities of the wind, both destructive andconstructive.A. EOLIROSION. (From "eolian erosion." Latin Aeolus;e and rodere, to gnaw away. Hence, "wind gnawed"or "eaten away by wind".) Eolirosion includes thepick-up and transportation of materials by the windand the geologically destructive effects accomplishedbecause of such transportation.1. Eoliportation. (Latin Aeolus; portare, to carry;-ation, the act of. Hence, "the act of windcarrying," or "carried by the wind".) Eolipor-tation refers to the transfer of (chiefly) rockmaterials on the earth's surface by the agencyof the wind.2. Blastation. (AS. blaest, a puff of wind, a blowing,plus -ation, the act of. Hence, "the act ofblowing or rending rock".) Blastation includesthe geologically destructive processes in whichsand and dust particles strike rock faces orgrind upon each other.B. EOLIPOSITION. (Latin Aeolus; ponere, positum, to place.Hence, "wind placed".) Eoliposition refers to the202 WALDO S. GLOCK Vol. X X Xdeposition of materials which have been transportedby the wind; it is the process which occurs when trans-portation ceases or becomes ineffective.IV. GLACIATION. (Latin glacies, ice, plus -ation. Hence, "thatwhich is done by ice".) Glaciation includes all the geologicactivities of glaciers, both destructive and constructive.A. GLACIROSION. Glacirosion includes tjie pick-up and trans-portation of materials, produced or supplied, and thegeologically destructive activities of glaciers.1. Glaciportation. Glaciportation refers to the trans-fer of materials by the agency of glaciers.2. Abrasion refers to the process by which a glacierscours and wears away a rock surface, or thefragments undergoing transportation.3. Plucking refers to the process whereby a glacierlifts or tears away rock fragments or projectionsto which the ice has become attached.B. GLACIPOSITION. Glaciposition refers to the depositionor rock materials which have been transported byglaciers.V. FLUVIATION. (Latin ftuvius, river, plus -ation. Hence, "thatwhich is done by rivers ".) Fluviation includes all the geologicactivities of streams, both destructive and constructive.A. FLUVIROSION. Fluvirosion designates the geologic workof pick-up, transportation, and destruction carried onby streams.1. Fluviportation refers to the transfer of materialsby the agency of streams.2. Corrasion refers to the process whereby the channelof a stream is worn away chiefly by the impactof rock materials which themselves suffer wearduring the procedure.3. Corrosion is the process whereby a stream by itsown solvent action, but predominantly by thehelp of solutes undergoing transportation, dis-solves or chemically alters materials along itscourse of flow.B. FLUVIPOSITION. Fluviposition refers to the depositionof rock materials which have been transported bystreams.VI. PLUVIATION. (Latin pluvia, rain, plus -ation. Hence, "thatwhich is done by rain".) Pluviation includes all the geologicactivities of rain and rainwash, both destructive and con-structive.No. 3 PLANATIONAL TERMS 203A. PLUVIROSION. Pluvirosion refers to the geologic workof pick-up, transportation, and destruction carried onby rain and rainwash.1. Pluviportation refers to the transfer of materialsby the agency of rain.B. PLUVIPOSITION. Pluviposition refers to the depositionof rock materials which have been transported by rainor rainwash.VII. MARIATION. (Latin mare, sea, plus -ation. Hence, "thatwhich is done by the sea".) Mariation includes all the directgeologic activities of the sea, both destructive and constructive.A. MARIROSION. Mariosion refers to the geologic work ofpick-up, transportation, and destruction carried on bythe sea.1. Mariportation refers to the transfer of materialsby the agency of the sea.B. MAEIPOSITION. Mariposition refers to the deposition ofrock materials which have been transported by the sea,chiefly waves, currents, and tides.VIII. COLLUVIATION. (Latin colluvies, a mixture;* plus -ation.Hence, "that which is done by a mixture" or, better, "bymixing".) Colluviation includes all the geologic activities ofgravity, both destructive and constructive.A. COLLUVIROSION. Colluvirosion includes the movementof rock materials under the influence of gravity and thedestructive effects accomplished.1. Colluviportation refers to the movement of (chiefly)rock material under the influence of gravity.B. COLLUVIPOSITION. Colluviposition refers to the deposi-tion, by coming to rest, of rock materials which haveundergone colluviportation.IX. TERRAOUIATION. (Latin terra, earth; aqua, water;'plus -ation.Hence, "that which is done by earth water".) Terraquiationincludes all the geologic activities performed by ground water,both destructive and constructive.A. TERRAQUIROSION. Terraquirosion refers to the pick-upand transportation of materials and the geologicallydestructive activities performed by ground water.1. Terraquiportation refers to the transfer of materialsby the agency of ground water.B. TERRAQUIPOSITION. Terraquiposition refers to the de-position, or precipitation, of materials which have beentransferred by ground water.*See G. P. Merrill: Rocks, Rock-Weathering and Soils, 1913, 307-8.204 WALDO S. GLOCK Vol. XXXPLANATION.DENUDATION SEDIMENTATIONWeathering Erosion DepositionEolirosion Eoliposition = EolationEoliportationBlastation" Glacirosion Glaciposition = GlaciationGlaciportationAbrasionPlucking" Fluvirosion Fluviposition = FluviationPluviportationCorrasionCorrosion" Pluvirosion . . Pluviposition = PluviationPluviportationCorrasion (?)" Marirosion Mariposition =MariationMariportationCorrasion (?)" Colluvirosion Colluviposition = ColluviationColluviportationCorrasion (?)" Terraquirosion Terraquiposition = TerraquiationTerraquiportationSolution (or corrosion)CorrasionNOTICECopies of the OHIO JOURNAL OF SCIENCE, Volume 22, No. 6, aredesired by the management of the Journal. The reserve supply ofthis issue is low and copies are wanted to meet demands for backvolumes and complete sets. There is reason to believe that duplicatecopies of this issue were sent to some subscribers and readers are re-quested to examine their files for this number. Those having copiesthey are willing to dispose of may communicate with the Business.Manager.

An Analysis of Plantational Terms : An Addition

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An Analysis of Plantational Terms : An Addition

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