Geology, the Fossil Record and Noah’s Flood

1. Geology, the Fossil Record andNoah’s Flood

2. Geologic Column

3. Geologic Column • Layers in the earth • Geology is the study of the Earth • Paleontology is the study of fossils. • Law of superposition

4. Problems with Geologic Column • How could the plants and animals be progressing from “simple to complex” if the ones on the bottom were already complex? • Flood of Noah • Transition fossils

5. Origin of the Fossil Record • Geologists claim the fossil record was formed through the same natural processes occurring today, and interpret it as a history of life on earth over >600 million years. • The Bible says there was a supernaturally-based global flood, and creation scientists interpret the fossil record as being the result of the flood of Noah. Monument Valley, Utah

6. Long ages uniform processes Or Young earth catastrophic event Geologic Time Scale Cenozoic Mesozoic Paleozoic

7. The Flood of Noah Genesis 6 18 But I will establish my covenant with you; and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons' wives with you. 19 And of every living thing of all flesh, you shall bring two of every sort into the ark, to keep them alive with you; they shall be male and female. 20 Of the birds according to their kinds, and of the animals according to their kinds, of every creeping thing of the ground according to its kind, two of every sort shall come in to you, to keep them alive.

8. Source of the Great Flood Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, on the same day all the fountains of the great deep burst open, and the floodgates of the sky were opened.

9. The Flood of Noah Genesis 7 19 And the waters prevailed so mightily upon the earth that all the high mountains under the whole heaven were covered; 20 the waters prevailed above the mountains, covering them fifteen cubits deep. 21 And all flesh died that moved upon the earth, birds, cattle, beasts, all swarming creatures that swarm upon the earth, and every man; 22 everything on the dry land in whose nostrils was the breath of life died..

10. The Flood of Noah Genesis 8 2 the fountains of the deep and the windows of the heavens were closed, the rain from the heavens was restrained, 3 and the waters receded from the earth continually. At the end of a hundred and fifty days the waters had abated; 4 and in the seventh month, on the seventeenth day of the month, the ark came to rest upon the mountains of Ararat. 5 And the waters continued to abate until the tenth month; in the tenth month, on the first day of the month, the tops of the mountains were seen.

11. Source of the Great Flood The flood possibly began when the earth's crust was fractured releasing subterranean caverns of water and magma. Mid Oceanic Ridge / Lithosphere Plates

12. Source of the Great Flood • During the flood of Noah subterranean fountains persisted for 150 days. (Gen 7:11-24) • Spring water such as the famous Artesian Wells originate from ancient underground aquifers like the Ogallala aquifer, which spans 8 states in the US. • These buried waters are possibly a remnant of the fountains of the great deep that burst forth during the Biblical flood. Fountains of the Deep

13. Source of Great Flood • “Ring of Fire” • Causes of Precipitation

14. Myth or local flood • Evolution • Day-age theory • Progressive creationism • Gap theory Local flood Worldwide flood • Biblical – young earth Views on the Genesis Flood Why the difference?

15. World-wide Flood Evidences • Creationists date the flood to about 5,000 years ago • Earth’s geologic features require a catastrophic explanation • Sedimentary rock formations (water deposited, e.g. sandstone) cover continent-sized regions • Large coal, oil, ore deposits (not forming today) • Great fossil beds exist - require rapid burial • Mountains made of “ocean-bottom” rocks, ocean fossils on continent interior mountains, fossils of warm habitat plants/animals near the poles • Many exceptions to standard geologic column (e.g. out of order strata, different “age” fossils together)

16. Other Flood Evidences • “Origin of civilization” is near ark landing • Written history appears 5-6,000 years ago • Pottery, agriculture, domestication, metallurgy, cities date <11,000 years ago • Tree ring studies of oldest living trees (Bristle Cone pines) date to 5,000 years ago • Population statistics suggest a thousands of years (vs a million) population build up • Radiocarbon dating age distribution analysis shows large spike of death about 5,000 years ago

17. Geologic Evidence What physical evidence should we look for to support evolution? • The geologic column should exist as a standard feature throughout the earth • The fossil record must demonstrate a gradual progression of ‘simple’ to complex organisms over long ages • Evidence that long ages are required for what we observe

18. Geologic Column Steven Austin (Ph.D. Geology),“Ten Misconceptions about the Geologic Column,” Impact 137, Nov. 1984. “The notion that the earth’s crust has an ‘onion skin’ structure with successive layers containing all strata systems distributed on a global scale is not according to the facts. Data from continents and ocean basins show that the ten systems are poorly represented on a global scale: Continued

19. 94% of the earth’s surface has three or more systems missing beneath; • 99.6% has at least one missing. • Only a few locations on earth (about 0.4% of its area) have been described with the succession of the ten systems beneath…. • The entire geologic column,… exists only in the diagrams drawn by geologists.” • approximately 77% of the earth’s surface area on land and under the sea has seven or more (70% or more) of the strata systems missing beneath;

20. The only place we find the full geologic column Geologic Column James Perloff, Tornado in a Junkyard,1999, p. 154. “The public generally believes that the Earth’s layers look much like the textbook geologic column, with strata neatly stacked upon each other. This is not the case.”

21. Catastrophism vs. Uniformitarianism • Catastrophism- Prior to the 19th century it was largely assumed by geologists that catastrophes such as the Biblical flood were responsible for the majority of the earth’s fossiliferous rock. • Uniformitarianism - Around 1850 the non-catastrophic view of earth’s geology began to develop, which suggested that gradual processes and uniform intensities were instead responsible. Is the Grand Canyon evidence of a catastrophe or millions of years of erosion?

22. Strata Sedimentary rock typically exists as distinct layers or strata. The Grand Canyon, Arizona

23. Strata Formation Layers form anytime particles are suspended in fluid then allowed to settle. Bryce Canyon National Park Small Particles Medium Particles Large Particles

24. Strata Correlation The order of layers in the geological column was deduced by examining and correlating strata from various location. Exposed strata is examined for characteristics it contains, such as index fossils, and compared with layers visible in other locations. Layers similar to these in Bryce Canyon can be found elsewhere in Utah and other states such as Colorado. Bryce Canyon National Park

25. Mechanisms of Rapid Strata Deposition • Rivers • Landslides • Mudflows • Turbidity currents • Liquefaction

26. Widespread Turbidities About 30% of all sedimentary rocks in the Grand Canyon are turbidities formed through deposition by turbidity currents. Grand Canyon, Arizona

27. Mount St. Helens The eruptions at Mt. St. Helens were an important geological event for creation science. Rapid deposition and erosion occurred providing a model of the type of activity taking place during the great Biblical flood of Noah.

28. March 19, 1982 Rapid Strata Formation at Mt. St. Helens June 12, 1980 Stratified layers up to 400 feet thick formed as a result of landslides, air fall tephra, pyroclastic flow, and mudflows, during the Mt. St. Helens eruptions. May 18, 1980 Toutle River, Mt. St. Helens

29. Human Artifacts in Coal Sulfur Springs ArkansasNov. 27 - 1948 “While I was working in the Municipal Electric Plant in Thomas, Okla. in 1912, I came upon a solid chuck of coal which was too large to use. I broke it with a sledge hammer. This iron pot fell from the center, leaving the impression, or mould of the pot in a piece of the coal. Jim Stull (an employee of the company) witnessed the breaking of the coal, and saw the pot fall out. I traced the source of the coal and found that it came from Wilburton, Oklahoma Mines.” Frank J. Kennord Creation Evidences Museum, Glen Rose, Texas.

30. Polystrate Tree inSandstone and Coal Evidence of Rapid Burial Polystrate Fossils Petrified tree trunks are found that frequently cross several strata proving the layers were deposited at the same time instead of over millions of years.

31. Fossil Record Fossils - A trace or remnant of preexisting life embedded and preserved in the earth’s crust. Fossil Record - • A “recording” of history. • A record of the relative times of death of preexisting life.

32. “Fossils offer the most direct evidence that evolution takes place…. Fossils, therefore, provide an actual record of Earth’s past life-forms. Change over time (evolution) can be seen in the fossil record.” The Fossil Record and Education Biology: Principles and Explorations, Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 2001, p. 283. Is this true?

33. FOSSILS • Many fossils have been found—that is true • No fossils of links between one kind and another kind have been found.

34. Fossil Sorting Assumptions: 1) Fossil sorting is believed to represent the history of life on earth. 2) Fossils in the lowest layers are believed to have lived before those in upper layers. 3) The first appearance of a fossil is believe to be the time when it evolved. 4) The last appearance of a fossil is believe to be the time it went extinct. Geological Column

35. Out of Place Fossils Assumption: The last appearance of a fossil is the time when it went extinct. ??? The Coelacanth was thought to have gone extinct with the dinosaurs 65 million years ago until it was discovered off the coast of Madagascar. Coelacanth Living Fossil

36. Living Fossils • Crocodiles - dates back 230 million years • Army Ants - dates back 100 million years • Cockroaches - dates back 350 million years • Coelacanth - dates back 400 million years • Crinoid or Sea Lilly dates back 150 million years • Cycads dates back 240 million years • Dragonfly dates back 230 million years • Ginkgo dates back 270 million years • Horseshoe Crab - dates back 300 million years • Nautilus - dates back 500 million years • Neopilina mollusks - dates back 400 million years • Salamanders dates back 150 million years • Sturgeon dates back 250 million years • Tuatara dates back 200 million years. • Velvet Worm dates back 500 million years • Wollemi Pine - dates back 150 million years

37. Marine Fossils Everywhere Marine fossils are found on almost every mountain range in the world (Alps, Andes, etc.), and provide clear evidence that the oceans covered the continents.

38. Fossilizationaccording to uniformitarianism After death, the ammonite slowly sinks to the sea floor. Scavengers feed on the fleshy body of the creature, and after only several weeks all that remains is the shell. http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/

39. Fossilizationaccording to uniformitarianism Several months after death the shell gradually becomes covered with silt and sand. These layers continue to build, providing a shield around the shell and protecting it from damage. Time continues to pass and more and more layers are deposited. After a few hundred years the shell is several feet beneath the surface. http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/

40. Fossilizationaccording to uniformitarianism Gradually the chemicals in the shell undergo a series of changes. As the shell slowly decays, water infused with minerals passes through it, replacing the chemicals in the shell with rock-like minerals (Calcite, Iron or Silica). Over millions of years the original shell is completely replaced by the minerals and what remains is a rock-like copy of the original shell. The fossil has the same shape as the original object, but is actually rock. http://www.discoveringfossils.co.uk/

41. Evidence of Rapid Burial Geologists claim that fossilization requires millions of years to occur. However, many fossils have been found with fully articulated skeletons, hair, scales, feathers, and soft fleshy parts such as skin, cartilage, unborn fetuses and stomachs containing the animals' last meal. From the marrow cavity of a fossilized Tyrannosaurus rex thighbone, scientists have extracted soft tissue. The flexible tissue can be stretched (see arrow) and returns to its original form. March 2005.

42. Dinosaur Found in Stomach of Mammal Jan 2005

43. Fossil Fish Fleshy parts fossilized. Did this fish survive decomposition for millions of years?

44. Fossilized Leaves Carbonized plant Thinnfeldia feistmanteli, Australia. Source: Museum Victoria.http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/prehistoric/image_html/mr007225.html

45. Fossilized Horse Source: Messel Pit Fossil Sitehttp://www.unesco-welterbe.de/en/

46. “Fishes are considered to be the most primitive living vertebrates… …similarities in structure and embryological development show that fishes and modern invertebrate chordates probably did evolve from common invertebrate ancestors that lived many millions of years ago.” Invertebrate to Vertebrate (Fish) Biology, Miller and Levine, 2000, p. 680. There is not one single intermediate in the textbook to support this claim!

47. ? Early fish according to the Biology textbook Miller and Levine Invertebrate (jellyfish) ? Trilobite Invertebrate to Vertebrate (Fish) Where are the thousands of observable intermediates?

48. “However, we have virtually no evidence in the fossil record or elsewhere for any of the changes proposed during this ‘immensity of time’; but the public hears nothing of this problem.” What do the Facts Support? Aerial Roth (Ph.D. Zoology), Origins, p. 189.

49. “Because of these similarities, scientists think the first amphibians were descendants of the lobe-finned fishes, a group whose modern members include the coelacanth and the lungfishes.” Fish to Amphibian Biology: Visualizing Life, Holt, Rinehart, and Winston, 1998, p. 461. This is supposedly evolving into legs

50. Extinct for 70 million years 1938 living coelacanths were found It is still 100% fish Coelacanth The front fins (lobes) are still fins