Underground Rivers - University of New Mexico

Chapter 9 -- Thermodynamic Engines
Descartes (Chapter 7), a Kircher contemporary who equated Jesuitical intellectualism with the Inquisition
that imprisoned Galileo and executed Bruno, described Kircher as "more quacksalver than savant."
If Kircher was quacksalver -- a charlatan -- he was at least an engaging quacksalver.
A hydrophylacium may also be required for non-thermal geophysical engines of underground
flow, but we'll get to those possibilities in the chapter to follow.
The Heat of the Earth
Springs
Ocean
We show three mechanisms -- fire, an alembic and condensation -- which while together
describing the same physical process, were differently emphasized by early writers.
Mt. Etna had a major eruption in 475 BC and another in 396. In 1669, lava destroyed the town of
Nicolosi and Catania. Other pre-1800 eruptions occurred in,
1797-1801, 1791-93, 1787, 1780-81, 1776, 1770, 1763-67, 1752-59, 1747-49, 1744-45, 1735-
36, 1732-33, 1723-24, 1702, 1693-94, 1688-89, 1682, 1651-56, 1646-47, 1643, 1633-38, 1614-
24, 1603-10, 1595, 1579-80, 1566, 1554, 1540-41, 1536-37, 1494, 1446-47, 1444, 1408, 1381,
1350, 1333, 1329, 1284-85, 1250, 1222, 1194, 1169, 1164, 1160, 1157, 1063, 1044, 1004,
911, 859, 814, 812, 644, 417, 252, 80, 39, 10 AD and 10, 32, 36, 44, 49, 56, 61, 122, 126, 135,
141, 350, 396, 424-25, 476-79, 565, 695, 735 and 1500 BC.
Mt. Vesuvius near Campania is one of the world's most dangerous volcanoes. Pre-1800
eruptions occurred in,
1796-1822, 1783-94, 1770-79, 1764-67, 1744-61, 1732-37, 1724-30, 1712-23, 1706-08, 1701-
04, 1696-98, 1685-94, 1682, 1654-80, 1637-52, 1631-32, 1500, 1347, 1270, 1150, 1139, 1073,
1049, 1037, 1007, 999, 991, 968, 787, 685, 536, 512, 505, 472, 379-95, 222-35, 203, 172, 79
AD and 1500 BC.
The Island of Stromboli, north of Sicily, has been in almost continuous eruption for over 2,000
years. Larger than normal eruptions over the recent 240 years include those of,
2006, 2003, 1998-2000, 1993-96, 1989-90, 1985-1986, 1975, 1971, 1966-68, 1959, 1956,
1949-54, 1943-44, 1941, 1936-37, 1934, 1930, 1919, 1915, 1912, 1905-07, 1903, 1900, 1895-
98, 1891-1893, 1888-89, 1885, 1881-82, 1879, 1874, 1855, 1850, 1833, 1822, 1778, 1770 and
1768.
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