The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online

RECORD: Darwin, C. R. [1873-1874]. Draft of Coral reefs. CUL-DAR59.2.81r. Edited by John van Wyhe (Darwin Online, http://darwin-online.org.uk/)

REVISION HISTORY: Transcribed by Christine Chua and edited by John van Wyhe 11.2021. RN1

NOTE: See record in the Darwin Online manuscript catalogue, enter its Identifier here. Reproduced with permission of the Syndics of Cambridge University Library and William Huxley Darwin. The volumes CUL-DAR 54-61 contain material for Darwin's book Insectivorous plants (1875).

Darwin, C. R. 1874. The structure and distribution of coral reefs. 2d ed. London: Smith Elder and Co.

[81r]

(35

that where the land is prolonged beneath the sea in an extremely steep slope, if any reefs are thus formed during subsidence they will remain closely attached to the shore, & will be undistinguishable from fringing reefs. Now we know that the submarine flanks of most atolls are very steep; & if one atoll after upheaval & before the sea had eaten deeply into the land, & had formed a broad flat surface were again to subside, the reef which grew to the surface during this movement would still closely skirt the coast.

[Coral reefs, pp. 223-224]

Citation: John van Wyhe, ed. 2002-. The Complete Work of Charles Darwin Online. (http://darwin-online.org.uk/)