American Geographical Society

Les Terrasses D'Abrasion Marine de la Cote Libanaise by Etienne de VaumasReview by: H. E. Wright, Jr.Geographical Review, Vol. 38, No. 4 (Oct., 1948), pp. 683-684Published by: American Geographical SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/211460 .

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GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEWS GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEWS

groups and toward the high terrace of the Venusberg to the south for higher-income groups. The general pattern of the whole complex was conditioned by the roads that radiate from the Altstadt. This is an excellent type study of the morphology of a German town; it is illustrated with five maps and plans.-R. E. DICKINSON

LES TERRASSES D'ABRASION MARINE DE LA COTE LIBANAISE. By ETIENNE

DE VAUMAS. Maps, diagrs., ills., bibliogr. Bull. Soc. Royale de Geogr. d' Egypte, Vol. 22,

1947, pp. 21-85.

The Quaternary history of the eastern Mediterranean coast has received increasing atten- tion in recent years from geologists and archeologists. Picard's monograph on the structure and evolution of Palestine (Bull. Geol. Dept., Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem, Vol. 4, No. 2-3-4, 1943) summarized the Quaternary geology of the Palestine coast and related the coastal

deposits to those of the Jordan Valley. The broad coastal plain of Palestine, however, pro- vides relatively little variety as compared with the coast of the Lebanon, to the north. Here the mountains descend abruptly to the sea, and the narrow coastal plain is interrupted by terraces cut sharply into Cretaceous and Tertiary limestone. The terraces are partly veneered with a variety of marine, eolian, fluvial, and colluvial deposits. Terraces and deposits are related to the fluctuations of sea level in the Quaternary. Many of the deposits bear artifacts; hence any dating of the deposits with reference to the Quaternary changes in climate or sea level serves to date the associated cultures also.

De Vaumas's paper on the marine terraces follows the work on short sections of the coast by Dubertret (Geologie du site de Beyrouth, Delegation Generale de France au Levant, Section Geologique, 1945) and by Wetzel and Haller (Le Quaternaire de la region de

Tripoli, Delegation Generale de France au Levant, Notes et Memoires de la Section Geol., Vol. 4, I945, pp. 1-48). It is concerned primarily with delineation of the rock-cut terraces rather than with the stratigraphy 'of the deposits. Maps show the areal extent of the three principal terraces identified: the upper terrace, at IOO meters; the middle terrace, at 60 meters; and the lower terrace, in two parts, at 20 meters and 10 meters. The size, elevation, and form of the major remnants of each terrace are described, and the relative preservation indicated. The upper terrace is found for a total of 32 per cent of the 220 kilometers of the Lebanese coast line, the middle terrace for 39 per cent, and the lower terrace for 95.5 per cent. The highest terrace is thus the oldest.

De Vaumas is careful to point out that these terraces should not be correlated with terraces of the western Mediterranean coast purely on the basis of the absolute elevation, since the Lebanon is not a stable land. He believes that uplift of the Lebanon Mountains and the coastal plain occurred as recently as the interval between the formation of the middle terrace and the formation of the lower terrace; for he states that on the peninsula of Beirut the middle terrace is tilted seaward and the lower terrace is horizontal.

No attempt is made to correlate the terraces with the glacial chronology of Europe. The prehistoric cultures, however, are placed according to the following scheme: I. Transgression to 100 m. Early Acheulian 2. Regression Unidentified flake industry, and Late Acheulian 3. Transgression to 60 m. 4. Regression Tayacian, Early Levalloisian 5. Transgression to 20 m. Middle Levalloisian 6. Regression to < o m. Late Levalloisian, Levalloiso-Mousterian, Aurignacian 7. Transgression to o m. Mesolithic, Neolithic

groups and toward the high terrace of the Venusberg to the south for higher-income groups. The general pattern of the whole complex was conditioned by the roads that radiate from the Altstadt. This is an excellent type study of the morphology of a German town; it is illustrated with five maps and plans.-R. E. DICKINSON

LES TERRASSES D'ABRASION MARINE DE LA COTE LIBANAISE. By ETIENNE

DE VAUMAS. Maps, diagrs., ills., bibliogr. Bull. Soc. Royale de Geogr. d' Egypte, Vol. 22,

1947, pp. 21-85.

The Quaternary history of the eastern Mediterranean coast has received increasing atten- tion in recent years from geologists and archeologists. Picard's monograph on the structure and evolution of Palestine (Bull. Geol. Dept., Hebrew Univ., Jerusalem, Vol. 4, No. 2-3-4, 1943) summarized the Quaternary geology of the Palestine coast and related the coastal

deposits to those of the Jordan Valley. The broad coastal plain of Palestine, however, pro- vides relatively little variety as compared with the coast of the Lebanon, to the north. Here the mountains descend abruptly to the sea, and the narrow coastal plain is interrupted by terraces cut sharply into Cretaceous and Tertiary limestone. The terraces are partly veneered with a variety of marine, eolian, fluvial, and colluvial deposits. Terraces and deposits are related to the fluctuations of sea level in the Quaternary. Many of the deposits bear artifacts; hence any dating of the deposits with reference to the Quaternary changes in climate or sea level serves to date the associated cultures also.

De Vaumas's paper on the marine terraces follows the work on short sections of the coast by Dubertret (Geologie du site de Beyrouth, Delegation Generale de France au Levant, Section Geologique, 1945) and by Wetzel and Haller (Le Quaternaire de la region de

Tripoli, Delegation Generale de France au Levant, Notes et Memoires de la Section Geol., Vol. 4, I945, pp. 1-48). It is concerned primarily with delineation of the rock-cut terraces rather than with the stratigraphy 'of the deposits. Maps show the areal extent of the three principal terraces identified: the upper terrace, at IOO meters; the middle terrace, at 60 meters; and the lower terrace, in two parts, at 20 meters and 10 meters. The size, elevation, and form of the major remnants of each terrace are described, and the relative preservation indicated. The upper terrace is found for a total of 32 per cent of the 220 kilometers of the Lebanese coast line, the middle terrace for 39 per cent, and the lower terrace for 95.5 per cent. The highest terrace is thus the oldest.

De Vaumas is careful to point out that these terraces should not be correlated with terraces of the western Mediterranean coast purely on the basis of the absolute elevation, since the Lebanon is not a stable land. He believes that uplift of the Lebanon Mountains and the coastal plain occurred as recently as the interval between the formation of the middle terrace and the formation of the lower terrace; for he states that on the peninsula of Beirut the middle terrace is tilted seaward and the lower terrace is horizontal.

No attempt is made to correlate the terraces with the glacial chronology of Europe. The prehistoric cultures, however, are placed according to the following scheme: I. Transgression to 100 m. Early Acheulian 2. Regression Unidentified flake industry, and Late Acheulian 3. Transgression to 60 m. 4. Regression Tayacian, Early Levalloisian 5. Transgression to 20 m. Middle Levalloisian 6. Regression to < o m. Late Levalloisian, Levalloiso-Mousterian, Aurignacian 7. Transgression to o m. Mesolithic, Neolithic

683 683

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THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW THE GEOGRAPHICAL REVIEW

The contribution of De Vaumas's paper lies in the local descriptions of the wave-cut terraces and in the presentation of the author's ideas on the Quaternary history. The se-

quence outlined is somewhat different from that interpreted by Wetzel and Haller, who

mapped in much greater detail the stratigraphy of the northern part of the coast. Their careful study of the complex relations between marine deposits, old sand dunes, fluviatile

deposits, and soils led them to identify high sea levels at 95, 60, 45, 35, I5, 6, and 3 meters, with regressions to low sea levels following the 60-meter stand and the 6-meter stand.

They consider that these positions represent eustatic shifts in sea level and do not record local orogeny in the Lebanon.-H. E. WRIGHT, JR.

DELTAIC FORMATION, With Special Reference to the Hydrographic Processes of the

Ganges and the Brahmaputra. By C. STRICKLAND. xiii and 157 pp.; maps, diagrs., ills.,

bibliogr., index. Longmans, Green & Co., Calcutta, Bombay, etc., I940. Rs. 5. 8SY x

5 2 inches.

This work is an attempt to explain the formation of deltas through a study of the compound delta of Bengal, that of the Brahmaputra and the Ganges. Interestingly, it was written by a physician who lacked professional training in both geography and geology. One marvels at the insight he gained into a geomorphological problem of such scope through unaided

analytical observation. The lack of training is at times apparent, but many of the hypotheses are valid.

Dr. Strickland reviews various definitions of the term "delta" and arrives at the con- clusion that none is satisfactory. He proposes the terms delta and paradelta, the former for the part that is still undergoing deposition (the active delta), the latter for the part that is no longer undergoing deposition and has begun to be degraded (the deltaic plain). Various deltaic features are then discussed in a fashion that is noteworthy because of the novelty of the approach and the controversial nature of the material.

All of the deltaic tract fronting on the ocean is designated the seaface. Writing of the elevation of the seaface, Strickland says: "The sediment-laden currents thus moulding the sea-bed disperse over the surface of the sea, and meeting the drag and deadweight of the

apposing waters may be considered to arrange themselves fanwise, and each to resolve into two main streams or 'distributaries' following the lines of least resistance. Then in the com-

paratively still area between these, as well as along the laterally apposing masses of seawater, where also the currents meet stiller water, banks of sediment are thrown down, these, in the latter situation, being continuous with the banks of the river before its debouchement at the seaface; a new bank is thus formed as an extension of the old." Thus is described the

origin of the submerged extensions of natural levees such as characterize Main Pass of the

Mississippi River.

Dwips, or alluvial islands, are formed by alluviation below channels at the seaface. Along with the explanation of dwips Strickland describes the tidal action of the Bay of

Bengal upon the surface. His contention is that the powerful opposing force of the tides in the Bay of Bengal meeting the force of the river currents causes channels to be cut con-

necting the rivers and the estuaries of the seaface at right angles. Similar phenomena have been noted along the seafaces of other deltas, where tidal channels have been described.

One of the particularly noticeable features of the seaface is the lagoon. It is suggested that each distributary deposits along its sides narrow banks that build out into the sea; then, as the land building continues, the inlets between are cut off from the sea by offshore bars

The contribution of De Vaumas's paper lies in the local descriptions of the wave-cut terraces and in the presentation of the author's ideas on the Quaternary history. The se-

quence outlined is somewhat different from that interpreted by Wetzel and Haller, who

mapped in much greater detail the stratigraphy of the northern part of the coast. Their careful study of the complex relations between marine deposits, old sand dunes, fluviatile

deposits, and soils led them to identify high sea levels at 95, 60, 45, 35, I5, 6, and 3 meters, with regressions to low sea levels following the 60-meter stand and the 6-meter stand.

They consider that these positions represent eustatic shifts in sea level and do not record local orogeny in the Lebanon.-H. E. WRIGHT, JR.

DELTAIC FORMATION, With Special Reference to the Hydrographic Processes of the

Ganges and the Brahmaputra. By C. STRICKLAND. xiii and 157 pp.; maps, diagrs., ills.,

bibliogr., index. Longmans, Green & Co., Calcutta, Bombay, etc., I940. Rs. 5. 8SY x

5 2 inches.

This work is an attempt to explain the formation of deltas through a study of the compound delta of Bengal, that of the Brahmaputra and the Ganges. Interestingly, it was written by a physician who lacked professional training in both geography and geology. One marvels at the insight he gained into a geomorphological problem of such scope through unaided

analytical observation. The lack of training is at times apparent, but many of the hypotheses are valid.

Dr. Strickland reviews various definitions of the term "delta" and arrives at the con- clusion that none is satisfactory. He proposes the terms delta and paradelta, the former for the part that is still undergoing deposition (the active delta), the latter for the part that is no longer undergoing deposition and has begun to be degraded (the deltaic plain). Various deltaic features are then discussed in a fashion that is noteworthy because of the novelty of the approach and the controversial nature of the material.

All of the deltaic tract fronting on the ocean is designated the seaface. Writing of the elevation of the seaface, Strickland says: "The sediment-laden currents thus moulding the sea-bed disperse over the surface of the sea, and meeting the drag and deadweight of the

apposing waters may be considered to arrange themselves fanwise, and each to resolve into two main streams or 'distributaries' following the lines of least resistance. Then in the com-

paratively still area between these, as well as along the laterally apposing masses of seawater, where also the currents meet stiller water, banks of sediment are thrown down, these, in the latter situation, being continuous with the banks of the river before its debouchement at the seaface; a new bank is thus formed as an extension of the old." Thus is described the

origin of the submerged extensions of natural levees such as characterize Main Pass of the

Mississippi River.

Dwips, or alluvial islands, are formed by alluviation below channels at the seaface. Along with the explanation of dwips Strickland describes the tidal action of the Bay of

Bengal upon the surface. His contention is that the powerful opposing force of the tides in the Bay of Bengal meeting the force of the river currents causes channels to be cut con-

necting the rivers and the estuaries of the seaface at right angles. Similar phenomena have been noted along the seafaces of other deltas, where tidal channels have been described.

One of the particularly noticeable features of the seaface is the lagoon. It is suggested that each distributary deposits along its sides narrow banks that build out into the sea; then, as the land building continues, the inlets between are cut off from the sea by offshore bars

684 684

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