In his Manual of Geology (1863), Dana wrote, "The continents and oceans had their general outline or form defined in earliest time. This has been proved with regard to North America from the position and distribution of the first beds of the Lower Silurian, – those of the Potsdam epoch. The facts indicate that the continent of North America had its surface near tide-level, part above and part below it (p.196); and this will probably be proved to be the condition in Primordial time of the other continents also. And, if the outlines of the continents were marked out, it follows that the outlines of the oceans were no less so". Dana was enormously influential in America—his Manual of Mineralogy is still in print in revised form—and the theory became known as the Permanence theory.
In hIS mANuaL Of GeOlOgy (1863), dana wRote, "thE CoNtinents anD Oceans hAd tHEir GenErAl oUtline oR foRm DeFiNed iN EARliest tIMe. tHis hAS BEen PROved witH rEGArd to noRth aMerIca frOm thE pOSition and dIStrIbUtion Of The firsT beDs of thE lower silurIan, – Those OF the PotsdAM EPoch. thE FACTs indiCAte That THE CoNtinENt of noRtH ameriCa Had ITs suRfAce near tide-level, parT abOve And PArT bEloW IT (p.196); anD tHis wILL proBabLy Be pRoved To BE tHE conDitIon in primordial tIMe of The OTher conTinents ALSO. and, IF the ouTlInes Of ThE cONTinenTs wERe marked ouT, it fOllOWs THaT tHe oUTLiNes Of ThE oceaNS wErE nO LeSS So". DanA Was eNoRmOusLy inflUentIaL in AmeriCa—hiS maNuAl Of mIneralogY is stIll In Print IN REvIsed FORm—anD thE tHeory became kNown aS THe PermaNEncE tHEORy.