TESTIMONIALS Geological Survey of India, 27 Chozuringee, Calcutta. Professor K. P. Vidyaratna of Bhatpara has asked my opinion of his philosophical essay—Atomic Force and Earthquakes—which he has prepared as a result of inspiration after long contemplation. As he writes philosophically and not as a physicist his phraseology is not precisely scientific, but, allowing the latitude often permitted to poets, his contribution is of considerable interest. He traces the cause of Earthquakes in the Farth to the influence of the sun–an opinion which is at least quite up-to date. A recent opinion is that the radiations of the sun include rays which when traversed by the rotatory Earth travelling on its orbit result in “eddy currents” being induced in the sub-crustal zone of the Earth. The resulting magnetic field produced by such induced electric currents would explain the mystery of terrestrial magnetism. If such induced currents actually occur it is certain that they must also generate heat on the principle of an electric resistance furnace. If heat of this origin is generated in sufficient quantity, periodic melting in the subcrustal region becomes possible, and the periodic outbeak of volcanism and
