Earth Features and Their Meaning An Introduction to Geology for the Student and the General Reader
CHAPTER II
THE FIGURE OF THE EARTH
The lithosphere and its envelopes—The evolution of ideas concerning the earth’s figure—The oblateness of the earth—The arrangement of oceans and continents—The figure toward which the earth is tending—Astronomical _versus_ geodetic observations—Changes of figure during contraction of a spherical body—The earlier figures of the earth—The continents and oceans at the close of the Paleozoic era—The flooded portions of the present continents—The floors of the hydrosphere and atmosphere—Reading references 8