Causes Quote by Amadeus William Grabau
““Even more difficult to explain, than the breaking-up of a single mass into fragments, and the drifting apart of these blocks to form the foundations of the present-day continents, is the explanation of the original production of the single mass, or PANGAEA, by the concentration of the former holosphere of granitic sial into a hemisphere of compressed and crushed gneisses and schists. Creep and the effects of compression, due to shrinking or other causes, have been appealed to but this is hardly a satisfactory explanation. The earth could no more shrug itself out of its outer rock-shell unaided, than an animal could shrug itself out of its hide, or a man wriggle out of his skin, or even out of his closely buttoned coat, without assistance either of his own hands or those of others.””
About This Quote
Source Book: The Earth and Its Crust, 1915
Explains that massive geological changes cannot happen without external forces or assistance, likening Earth’s restructuring to a creature needing help to shed its outer layer.
In simple terms: Big changes need help.
Key Takeaway
Seek collaborative effort for big transformations.
Themes
geology
collaboration
change
process
assistance
Mood
reflective
inquisitive
Type
scientific
educational
When to use this quote
- mountain formation
- plate tectonics
- resource extraction
- construction projects
- environmental remediation
Key Concepts
tectonics
compression
creep
holosphere
Pangaea
Questions to Reflect On
- What external forces enable large-scale change?
- How can collaboration accelerate transformation?
A Different Perspective
Earth cannot reshape itself without external forces or mechanisms.
![“Well the first time I performed, my mom was like how she is now when sees me on stage – all red, smiling from ear to ear. So I don’t want to mess up, [be]cause she’s smiling. Seeing my mom happy is kind of like an overwhelming feeling.” quote by Chris Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/477/chris-brown-1887_causes_well-the-first-time-i-performed-my-mom-w_4699.jpg)