抄録
Robert S. DIETZ is a unique geologist. His new hypotheses always brought forth controversies, but were finally accepted as a whole. His most prominent paper on the spreading sea-floor theory appeared in 1961. He managed thereafter to establish a new geosynclinal concept in terms of plate tectonics.
DIETZ's proposal may be summarized as follows :
1. Continental rise and shelf couplet constitutes eu-and mio-geosynclines, respectively.
2. Eugeosynclinal sediments mainly deposited on the oceanic crust, while miogeosynclinal ones on the continental crust.
3. An orogeny is the geological expression of the collapse of continental rise sediments resulting from either the new subduction of the oceanic crust or the contient-continent collision.
4. Even Flysch facies indicate commonly the collapse of the continental rise, while Molasse facies appear much later than the former.
5. Real geosynclinal sediments were derived exclusively from the continent, hence the geanticlinal continent has never existed.
DIETZ's proposal is probably nothing peculiar to most of geologists at the present, but not at the time. His proposal was felt to be more than revolutionary by the ordinary geologists. All his papers have much been in the discussion column. However, the progress of the affair is very instructive. The present author can learn the following matters through the discussions.
1. It may be difficult that a new hypothesis tides over the limit of a certain group such as university, country and so on.
2. It may be also difficult to evaluate fairly a pioneer's achievements.
