The polymath Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) believed that there were oceans inside the Earth that exchanged water with the seas on the surface. This was supposed to be the cause of the tides. The drawing shows Kircher's idea of underground lakes, rivers and fire basins.

The polymath Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) believed that there were oceans inside the Earth that exchanged water with the seas on the surface. This was supposed to be the cause of the tides. The drawing shows Kircher’s idea of underground lakes, rivers and fire basins.

The polymath Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) believed that there were oceans inside the Earth that exchanged water with the seas on the surface. This was supposed to be the cause of the tides. The drawing shows Kircher’s idea of underground lakes, rivers and fire basins.