Volcanism in French Somaliland

828 NATURE MAY 25, 1940, VoL. 145

VOLCANISM IN FRENCH SOMALILAND

E. AUBERT DE LA RUE has recently The lava flows may be compared with the 'coulees M • travelled extensively in French Somaliland stratoi:des' of Yemen described by M. P. Lamare, (November 1937-May 1938) for the purpose of con• and have often been eroded into extremely steep ducting field work, which he has since examined pitons. The centres of eruption are most difficult to critically (Bull. Volcanolog., ii, 5, 71-108 ; 1939). determine and the different 'Massifs' are regarded It is very plain from the report that volcanism has not as the vestiges of ancient volcanoes as in the had an important role in the building up of this ' region near Aden but as the remains of rhyolitic region of tropical Africa near the Gulf of Aden. At plateaux. This agrees with the opinion of P. Lamare, the moment there is no active volcano in the land to whom the Mabla massif appears to be a horst. but in numerous places there are fumaroles and The rhyolitic series is followed by the Recent hydrothermal springs which are the last stages of Basaltic Series, but in between the deposition of the volcanic activity. In order of age (oldest first) the two was a long interval of time during which a good volcanism may be roughly classified as : ( 1) Old deal of erosion took place. This may be seen at a Basaltic Series, (2) Rhyolitic Series, (3) Recent number of places but particularly in the valley of Basaltic Series, (4) very recent eruptions, and (5) Magaleh in the Goudah massif where the whole present day volcanic phenomena which include (a) sequence may be observed. The Recent Basaltic fumaroles and (b) thermal springs. Series appears to be due to a series of fissure eruptions The Old Basalts in the form of dykes and lava which took place with great regularity. Here and flows were incident after the deposition of the Infra• there, between two of the lava flows there exists a cretaceous sandstones. They were observed by M. well-cemented, reddened conglomerate usually con• Dreyfuss in the Ali Sabien mountain complex and taining pebbles of basalt but sometimes pebbles of they have been observed in the Mabla mountains by rhyolite. The series is fairly uniform, fine grained, M. Dreyfuss and M. Teilhard de Chardin. M. E. and generally having a doleritic texture. It nearly Aubert de la Riie has been able to identify them always contains olivine but never in great quantities. over a much wider area. In the Issa area they form Occasionally it is porphyritic with large phenocrists the base of the Guelileh Valley, and they may be of plagioclase. Some Andesitic flows, chiefly in the seen under the rhyolite flows of the dissected plateau Arta massif and near the Koranke-Hada-E.Kouri• of Damer-Kada. The Boura mountains, previously Djabet Mountain, accompany the Recent Basaltic considered entirely rhyolitic, in reality have a Series. The thickness of the lava in the flows usually basaltic base which in places attains an altitude of varies from 3 m. to 5 m. There are no intercalated 750 metres and which is surmounted by tuffs and tuffs to separate the flows but Aubry found in the rhyolitic lava flows. In the Dankali area the Old Assai Basin under 200 metres of labradorite a lacus• Basalts appear at the base of the rhyolitic Hassa.Ali trine sedimentary deposit with Unio, Corbicules, chain. They are to be found at the entrance to the Limnees, Planorbes and Melanies about three metres Orgoi:ta Ravine at the foot of the Y agueri Mountains thick. Similar phenomena have been observed else• a little to the north of the Y oboki Pass. The series where in the colony. The smallish volcanic cones. from the base upwards consists of Old Basalt, visible from Djibouti in the region to the south-west greenish rhyolitic tuff, rhyolitic obsidian, and rhyo• have been formed by scoriaceous lavas and are of lite. In places the basalts attain an altitude greater mixed Strombolian-Hawaiian type. Perhaps Mount than 1,000 metres. This is so in the high valley of Garbi is a volcanic cone, and if so it is the largest in Magaleh and at the col Adhali-Daba to the north of French Somaliland (1,650 m.). · Tadjourah, where they reach a height of 1,140 metres. It is difficult to draw a demarcation line between This Old Basaltic Series is often greatly altered, the Recent Basaltic Series and the very recent containing siliceous concretions, calcite veins, zeo• eruptions, but it is probable that man was already lites, stillbite and heulandite. When not decomposed on the earth when the volcanoes of Ghoubet-el• the basalt presents a very varied appearance in Kharab erupted. The basaltic flows, interstratified different localities. with the Quaternary cones of dejection at the lower The Old Basalts are followed by the Rhyolitic end of the slopes of the Mabla Mountains, are prob• Series, the age of which is uncertain because there ably fairly recent and have been affected by very are no sedimentary rocks interstratified with them. recent faults in the valley of west Ababol81. The M. E. Aubert de la Riie has been able to show that last stages of volcanic activity may be found in the at least in some places the rhyolites were produced fumaroles and hot springs now existing. A typical before the basaltic eruptions had ceased. One such fumerole is in the south-east of the plain of Hanleh case is in the Mabla Mountains where, under the about 3 km. 500 m. to the east-north-east of Garbes. It path from Letabolo to Bate-Era, one can see a is called by the Danakils 'the smoking mountain' and rhyolite flow about 10 m. thick between two basalt consists of a band a few score metres wide and flows. The Rhyolitic Series may be observed through• about 400 metres long orientated in a north-west• out the colony, and does not appear to have a greater south-east direction. In this region the basalt has thickness than 500 m. The rhyolites, in places been largely decomposed to a red clay which is often prismatic and very fresh, are elsewhere frequently at a temperature of 100° C. Aqueous sulphurous altered. The obsidians are opaque or translucent, vapour at l 00° C. escapes from the ground through grey, grey-green, or black, the latter often having a multitude of small fissures sometimes silently and been mistaken for coal. Pantellerite and comendite, at other times with a slight whistle. Near the region described by Lacroix and Arsandaux, have been there are incrustations of white gypsum, saccharolde founrl near Hol-Hol and in the Mabla Mountains. and kalinite.

There are numerous regions with hot springs in east-west and probably follow the fault lines. A the colony. A typical one is at Asbahalto on the spring at the foot of Badikoma has a temperature eastern bank of Lake Abbe, called by the Danakils of 100° C., gave a fairly alkaline reaction and when 'the evil smelling water'. Here innumerable thermal evaporated left a residue of 2·48 gm. per litre. springs have deposited walls of travertin which have This consisted of silica 0·090 gm., calcium carbonate the appearance of ruins, about 5-10 m. high on the 0·109 gm., calcium sulphate 0·485 gm., magnesium average. This travertin is composed chiefly of chloride 0·032 gm., potassium chloride 0·054 gm., calcium carbonate together with a little magnesium sodium chloride 1· 648 gm., sodium bromide 0 ·0035 carbonate. Superficially it is clear grey whilst in the gm., together with organic and miscellaneous material interior it is yellowish white, having a spongy 0·0585 gm. Other hot springs abound in the plain structure and being somewhat friable. The denticu• of Hanleh, in the valley of west Kouri, in Goum, lated walls and small pitons are aligned roughly Halo!, and in Obock.

FOREST PRODUCTS RESEARCH BOARD HE report for 1938 of the Forest Products deal with these products, the properties of which T Research Board recently issued (London : H.M. differ fundamentally from those of 'solid wood'. Stationery Office, 1939. 1s. 6d. net) is dated June Inquiries regarding these products were rapidly 1939. Remembering that the outbreak of war was increasing, even though the laboratory has dis• to come so soon after its completion, there are one claimed possession of any real technical knowledge or two points which appear to merit particular of them. The industries interested cover every field mention. The chief, perhaps, is the research on in which natural wood has hitherto been used, and wood, for which the Board had had under several in which the use of wood has practically been consideration detailed proposals for the provision of abandoned. equipment. The report of the Director of Forest Products The interest which this subject has aroused would Research is issued with the above. Inquiries in every seem to indicate that all the substitutes which have department of the Laboratory's activities continued replaced wood have apparently had little influence to be numerous. As one example of the work under• upon the great demands still being made on the taken, the experimental work on the production of forest. The Board's report states, with reference to charcoal in portable steel kilns is proving successful. composite wood: "We are impressed with the need Charcoal is being increasingly used for various in• for systematic research on the properties of this class dustrial purposes, particularly in the manufacture of of materials in order to build a foundation of technical Rayon ; and the manufacturer in Great Britain has knowledge such as has been accumulated in the case been very dependent on foreign supplies of it. of 'solid' wood by many years of work at various Hitherto, charcoal which has been made in portable universities and laboratories in the past." In view kilns has contained too great a percentage of volatile of the importance which the processes of manu• matter ; the experimental kiln now in use is said to facture and the interrelations of the materials used go far in removing this objection. A leading firm of have on the properties of the final products, the need Rayon manufacturers has stated that charcoal pro. for systematic research is evident. New methods of duced by certain burnings is equal to the best obtain• test and investigation may have to be developed to able from any source.

CORTICAL LOCALIZATION OF INTELLIGENCE M. HILDRETH, at the meeting of the American psychopathic hospital of 4,000, all the patients who H . Association for the Advancement of Science, after complete examination were found to be suffering Columbus, Ohio, December 1939, presented a stat• from this disease were selected, and from this group istical study of the cortical localization of intelligence. were eliminated those who showed signs of any The problem involves the correlation of an inde• disease, for example, brain tumour, that might pendent physiological variable with a dependent conceivably affect intelligence. This gave a selected psychological variable. Since in studying human experimental group of 201 subjects. A control group beings it is not possible to destroy predetermined of 201 normal individuals was also selected, compar• parts of the cortex by operation, an experimental able except that they had no signs of arteriosclerosis. group of individuals whose brains had been damaged Previous records of intelligence and school attain• by disease or by natural organic changes had to be ments were available. used. The psychological variable could be measured It is argued that if all the subjects are now given by using well-established tests of intelligence. The an intelligence test, since the two groups are group studied cousisted of individuals found to be matched, then the performance of the normal suffering from cerebral arteriosclerosis, in which group might be taken as what the other group disease small areas, apparently occurring at random, would have been if it were not suffering from are destroyed throughout the brain. From a arteriosclerosis.