Senior University: Winter 2008

1. Senior University: Winter 2008 Evolving Continents, Oceans, and God-talk about Life Session 1 Don Beaumont Darrel Gilbertson Conversations between the two disciplines of geology and theology: The history of Earth Science and corresponding biblical models and language about the scientific and religious origins of the earth. Goals: Civil discourse, impartiality, and class participation

2. The mind seems to grow giddy by looking so far into the abyss of time Jay Playfair, 1805 Science: Natural facts discovered by experiment and testing hypotheses

3. Humans are creatures who comprehend things they cannot see and Believe in things they can not comprehend William Howells Religion: answers to great human questions strength to bear sorrow light on proper conduct assurance in presence of death Paul Hutchinson, 1957

4. Our Amazing Living Crust; “Shaper” of Human History A Geological Course Outline Stone Age: Rocks (flint, clay, building stone, & soils) Bronze Age: Minerals: Smelting; copper, tin, & arsenic; trade routes, & competition for resources Iron Age: Minerals: Smelting; iron, lead, zinc; trade routes, & territorial conquests, & 3 religions Dark Ages: Civilizations and religions in competitive collision Iron & Coal Age: Competition for resources, Uniformitarianism “Old as Dirt”, Evolution, Geosynclines, Iron & Oil Age: “Older than Dirt”, absolute age dates, plate tectonics, continental drift, The Earth’s Living Crust.

5. Humans are creatures who comprehend things they cannot see and Believe in things they can not comprehend William Howells How have Science and Religion interacted in Pre-historic Time

6. The Scientific Method Good Old Common Sense 1. Observe and Record Information 2. Imagine an Explanation(s) 3. Test our Explanation(s) 4. Peers review our Conclusion(s) Explanation to be tested: “Geology determines the sites of early civilizations and their Religions”

7. Modern View of the Rise and Fall of Societies Dr. Jared Diamond, geographer, UCLA Books: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fall or Succeed Guns, Germs, and Steel: Grand Unified Theory of History

8. Book by Dr. Jared Diamond, geographer, UCLA Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fall or Succeed Societies doomed by geography fragile ecosystems climate change hostile neighbors bad decisions

9. Book by Dr. Jared Diamond, geographer, UCLA Guns, Germs, and Steel: Grand Unified Theory of History Factors Determining Prevailing Societies raw materials crops climate trade routes shore lines

10. What Geologic Conditions affect History and Religion? Different Rocks at or near the Surface Erode into Unique Hills & Valleys Weather into Distinctive Soils Contain Natural Resources Continents: Unique Shapes & Locations Influence Weather & Climate Let’s Look at our Earth’s Rocky Crust

11. The Earth’s Rocky Crust Continents: shape & location Rocks: topography, soils, resources

12. What geologic processes affect human history and religion? What do we know: the Earth’s Crust that moves, and is being destroyed by natural processes? Continental Drift: Shifts the Continents Erosion: Creates Unique Topography Weathering: Produces Distinctive Soils

13. References From: Ron Blakey, 2000 with permission From E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology From: S.M. Stanley,1999, Earth System History, From: Hammond Atlas, 1972 From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins From: Halley’s Bible Handbook, 1991 Jared Diamond: Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fall or Succeed Jared Diamond: Collapse: Guns, Gems, and Steel: Grand Unified Theory of History Simon Winchester: The Map that Changed the World Bill Bryson: A Short History of Nearly Everything

14. 4000 miles Our Earth

15. Rocky Crust Thickness: Oceanic Crust = 5 miles thich Continental Crust = 20 to 50 miles thick Rocky Crust 5 to 50 miles thich

16. Earth’s Rocky Crust Orange, Yellow, Green, and light Blue: Continental Crust Blue: Oceanic Crust

17. The Earth’s Crustal Plates From E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology

18. The Earth’s Earthquakes and Volcanoes Volcanoes and Earthquakes have long had dramatic affects on both history and religion!! From E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology

19. Africa-Eurasia: Earthquakes and Volcanoes Volcanoes and Earthquakes have long had dramatic affects on both history and religion!! Early Civilizations Earliest Humans We’ll consider soils, topography & minerals later From E. A. Keller, 1996, Environmental Geology

20. Continental Drift: North America 550 Million Years Interesting process but not too important in the history and religions of the human race. Why? From: Ron Blakey, 2000 with permission No Significant Drift in last several Million Years

21. Geologic Time Scale Human History

22. Geologic Time: Last 550 Million Years Last Million Years 550,000,000 years

23. Geologic Time Line “Humanid” Fossil History 5 million Now Oldest Humanids Kenya 1970 Volcanic mud Footprints Tanzania, 1978

24. Hot Spots under Africa Today Earliest Humanit Fossils From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins

25. From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins

26. 5 mmy Oldest Humanid Mt. Kilimaniaro 3.6 mmy footprints

27. 3.6 mmyHumanid footprints Adult and Child? Walking in wet volcanic ash. From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins Now let’s look at the last million years

28. Present 200,000 years ago Focus Here next slide 1 million Stone Age Fossil Humanids & Human History 2 million 3 million 4 million From: Earth System History S.M. Stanley,1999

29. The Last Million Years Last Ice Age 200,000 500,000 Stone Age 1 million From: Earth System History S.M. Stanley,1999

30. The Last Million Years: A Geologic Time Line aka Recent Geologic Time One Million Years Ago Now 500,000 Years 1,000,000 Years 100,000 Years Homo erectus Neanderthal Homo sapiens Let’s look at the last 100,000 years

31. Human History Time Line: aka Recent Geologic Time One Million Years Ago Now 500,000 Years 1,000,000 Years 100,000 Years 100,000 Years Ago Now Last Ice Age AD ????????? human history (Stone Age) BC

32. The Last Ice Age Last Continental Glacier 110,000 to 10,000 ybp From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins

33. Humanid Sites: 1 million to 10,000 ybp Last Continental Glacier 110,000 to 10,000 ybp From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins Migrated up and out from Africa What is the earliest evidence of Modern Humans?

34. Cave Paintings and Figurines 30,000 to 15,000 ybp Note: White = Glaciers Tan = exposed continental Shelves Early KNOWN Civilizations about 30,000 years ago Where were they Located? Now let’s look at the last 10,000 years From: Ron Redfern, 2000, Origins

35. Division of Historic Time Silicon Age 1950 to Present Modern Age 1900 to 1950 Steam Age 1830 to 1950 Industrial Age 1700 to 1830 Renaissance 1450 to 1700 Middle Ages 470 to 1450 Roman Age to 470 750 Iron Age 1400 to 750 Bronze Age 3300 to 1400 Copper Age 3300 to 3000 Stone Age (end of Ice Age)10,000 to 3000 Geology & Religion

36. Where were the Early Civilizations Located? Tigris Euphrates Indus Nile Along major rivers! From: Hammond Atlas, 19

37. Rivers create Topography: Mountains, Hills, Valleys, and Plains. Yellow Yangtze Without exception early human civilizations “preferred” river flood plains!!! Indus Ganges What do all the earliest civilizations have in common? Major Rivers!!!! Rivers are geologic phenomena. Major rivers concentrate erosional debris at continental margins

38. Weathering & Erosion Rivers Concentrate Weathered Debris at Continental Margin Continent being Destroyed by Weathering & Erosion Rivers carry Debris to Continental Margins Continental Debris Trapped along the Continental Margins forming Geosynclines

39. Mountain Building Along Continental Margins Mountain Building Along Continental Margins Remember: all these statements are based on the Scientific Method!! Continent being Destroyed by Weathering & Erosion Let’s consider the vehicle responsible for all of the developments of all sciences. Continental Debris Trapped along the Continental Margins forming Geosynclines

40. The Scientific Method Good Old Common Sense 1. Observe and Record Information 2. Imagine an Explanation(s) And you are the “peer” reviewers!!! 3. Test our Explanation(s) 4. Peers review our Conclusion(s) MY Explanation to be tested: “Geology determines the sites of early civilizations and their Religions”

41. Topography (geology) Divides humans into distinctive groups Example: Western Europe Topography Geology

42. Contrasting Geology: rock outcrops and their Soils France and Germany Rhine Forested Hills Rolling Farmland Seine Contrasting Geology: Drainage Systems Contrasting Geology: Soils

43. Review and more on Rocks Types of Rocks Sedimentary Metamorphic Igneous Even within France the early local groups were Concentrated in areas of similar rock types.

44. Common Metamorphic Rocks Marble = partially melted limestone Quartzite = partially melted sandstone Slate = partially melted shale Schist = partially melted slate Gneiss = partially melted schist Where are metamorphic rocks formed? In mountain ranges along continental margins.

45. Common Igneous Rocks Granite: from melted continental crust Light color & “weight”, crystalline Rhyolite: from melted continental crust Light color & “weight”, no crystals Basalt: from melted oceanic crust Dark color, “heavy”, no crystals Gabbro: from melted oceanic crust Dark color, “heavy”, crystalline

46. Where are Igneous Rocks Formed? • Volcanoes: At or near the surface of the earth: lavas • Deep in the Earth’s Crusts: • Visible at the surface due to uplift and “deep” erosion of the earth’s crust

47. Igneous Rock Occurrences • Volcanoes: yield basalts or rhyolites • Quick cooling = no mineral crystals • Deep Crust: granites & gabbros • Slow cooling = mineral crystals

48. Sedimentary Rocks Formed in Layers of: Sandstones made of sand grains Shales made of mud Limestones made of sea shells Early humans in the Paris Basin (sedimentary rocks) were “different” than those living in Brittany (igneous & metamorphic rocks)

49. Rocks: Classes & Cycles Lava Cooled here Basalt or Rhyolite Cooled here Granite or Gabbro Magma

50. Where does the weathered material of Europe end up?