The Earth's Shifting Crust by Charles Hapgood - wire of information

THE GREAT EXTINCTIONS 253
enough dust to intercept 100 per cent of the sun's radiation;
consequently, the earth's surface would receive no heat at all.
It seems very unlikely that things could ever have gone quite
as far as this; nevertheless, considering that volcanic dust is
circulated around the world in a matter of days, and that the
refrigerating effects on the atmosphere may be felt in a
matter of weeks or months, there exists the possibility of a
sudden and drastic fall in temperature following soon after
such a conjunction of volcanic explosions.
The direct effects of this sudden fall in temperature on
animals would be serious enough, but the indirect effects
concern us more, for the moment. The amount of humidity
the atmosphere can hold is proportional to temperature. If
a mass of air is heated, it will pick up more moisture. If it is
cooled drastically, the precipitation will be drastic, in the
form of either rain or snow. At the same time, precipitation
will be increased by an increase in the number of dust particles
in the air, because raindrops require dust particles to
condense around, or so it is thought. Our situation, after a
massive outburst of volcanism in a short period, would be
that while the air was being drastically cooled, there would
at the same time be an enormous increase of the convenient
dust particles. This could add up to precipitation of moisture
on an enormous scale.
Now let us return to Siberia. Let us suppose that the
region is being steadily moved northward, and that its elevation
above sea level is increasing. In a certain year, a conjunction
of several major volcanic eruptions takes place. Let us
come back to our Beresovka mammoth. He is feeding quietly
in the grassy meadow, and he has just swallowed a mouthful
of buttercups, and has gathered up, with his trunk, a new
mouthful of wild beans, The temperature is warm, and
there is no sign of what is about to occur. The volcanoes have
shot off their dust some time before. Cold air* currents are
circulating ominously, but unperceived, not far away.
I have seen a situation like this in Canada, during Indian
summer. Day after day the sun is warm, although the nights