Geology, the
Fossil Record
and
Noah’s Flood
Geologic Column
Geologic Column
Layers in the earth
Geology is the study of the Earth
Paleontology is the study of
fossils.
Law of superposition
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
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
Geologic
Time
Scale
Long ages
uniform
processes
Era
Cenozoic
Period
Time (mil)
Quarternary
1.8 – present
Teritary
6.5 – 1.8
Cretaceous
14.5 – 6.5
Mesozoic Jurassic
208 – 14.5
Triassic
245 – 208
Permian
290 – 245
Carboniferous
363 – 290
Or
Devonian
Young earth Paleozoic Silurian
catastrophic
Ordovician
event
410 – 363
440 – 410
505 – 440
Cambrian
544 – 505
Precambrian
650 - 544
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.
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.
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..
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.
Source of the Great Flood
Mid Oceanic Ridge / Lithosphere Plates
The flood possibly began when the earth's crust was
fractured releasing subterranean caverns of water and
magma.
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
Fountains of the Deep
Biblical flood.
Source of Great Flood
♦ “Ring of Fire”
♦ Causes of Precipitation
Views on the Genesis Flood
♦
Evolution
♦ Day-age theory
♦ Progressive creationism
♦ Gap theory
♦
Biblical – young earth
Myth or
local flood
Local flood
Worldwide
flood
Why the difference?
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)
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
Geologic Evidence
What physical evidence should we look
for to support evolution?
1. The geologic column should exist as a
standard feature throughout the earth
2. The fossil record must demonstrate a
gradual progression of ‘simple’ to
complex organisms over long ages
3. Evidence that long ages are required for
what we observe
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
♦ 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;
♦ 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.”
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.”
The only place we
find the full
geologic column
Catastrophism vs. ♦
Uniformitarianism
Is the Grand Canyon
evidence of a catastrophe
or millions of years of
erosion?
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 noncatastrophic view of
earth’s geology began to
develop, which suggested
that gradual processes
and uniform intensities
were instead responsible.
Strata
Sedimentary rock
typically exists as
distinct layers or
strata.
The Grand Canyon, Arizona
Strata Formation
Bryce Canyon
National Park
Small Particles
Medium Particles
Layers form anytime particles
are suspended in fluid then
allowed to settle.
Large Particles
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.
Bryce Canyon National Park
Layers similar to these in
Bryce Canyon can be found
elsewhere in Utah and other
states such as Colorado.
Mechanisms of Rapid
Strata Deposition
♦
♦
♦
♦
Rivers
Landslides
Mudflows
Turbidity
currents
♦ Liquefaction
Widespread Turbidities
About 30% of all
sedimentary rocks in
the Grand Canyon are
turbidities formed
through deposition by
turbidity currents.
Grand Canyon, Arizona
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.
Rapid Strata Formation
at Mt. St. Helens
March 19, 1982
June 12, 1980
May 18, 1980
Toutle River, Mt. St. Helens
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.
Human Artifacts in Coal
Sulfur Springs Arkansas
Nov. 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.
Creation Evidences Museum,
Glen Rose, Texas.
I traced the source of the coal and found
that it came from Wilburton, Oklahoma
Mines.”
Frank J. Kennord
Polystrate Tree in
Sandstone 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.
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.
The Fossil Record and Education
Biology: Principles and Explorations, Holt,
Rinehart, Winston, 2001, p. 283.
“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.”
Is this true?
FOSSILS
♦ Many fossils have been found—that
is true
♦ No fossils of links between one kind
and another kind have been found.
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
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
Living Fossils
♦
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♦
♦
♦
♦
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♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
♦
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
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.
Fossilization
according 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/
Fossilization
according 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/
Fossilization
according 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/
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.
Dinosaur Found in Stomach of Mammal
Jan 2005
Fossil
Fish
Fleshy parts fossilized. Did
this fish survive
decomposition for millions of
years?
Fossilized Leaves
Carbonized plant Thinnfeldia feistmanteli, Australia.
Source: Museum Victoria.
http://www.museum.vic.gov.au/prehistoric/image_html/mr007225.html
Fossilized Horse
Source: Messel Pit Fossil Site
http://www.unesco-welterbe.de/en/
Invertebrate to Vertebrate (Fish)
Biology, Miller and Levine, 2000, p. 680.
“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.”
There is not one single intermediate in
the textbook to support this claim!
Invertebrate to Vertebrate (Fish)
?
Invertebrate
(jellyfish)
?
Trilobite
Early fish according to the
Biology textbook
Miller and Levine
Where are the thousands
of observable
intermediates?
What do the Facts Support?
Aerial Roth (Ph.D. Zoology), Origins, p. 189.
“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.”
Fish to Amphibian
Biology: Visualizing Life, Holt, Rinehart,
and Winston, 1998, p. 461.
“Because of these
similarities, scientists think
the first amphibians were
descendants of the lobefinned fishes, a group
whose modern members
include the coelacanth and
the lungfishes.”
This is supposedly evolving into legs
Coelacanth
• Extinct for 70 million years
• 1938 living coelacanths were found
• It is still 100% fish
The front fins (lobes) are still fins
Alleged Intermediates
Horse
Whales
Life Sciences, Prentice
Hall, 2002, p. 164.
Is there any observable evidence of
these changes or is it all based on
artists drawings?
Deception
Evolutionists want to believe in evolution so
badly they will resort to deceiving their
followers and anybody else they can control
in the education system, including
professors, teachers, and students by
making up data that does not exist.
FOSSILS—PROBLEM AREAS
♦ Hard to distinguish between
imprints and rock formations
♦ Complexity of an organism cannot
always be determined from its
skeletal system
♦ Variations within a species can
explain fossil life that was in a
different form from life today
♦ Fossil records are incomplete
FOSSILS—PROBLEM AREAS
♦ In earliest fossils found, all parts are
fully formed
♦ Fossils said to be the oldest have
been recognized and classified
♦ Fossils once listed as “pre-historic”
are not such at all
♦ Fossils of modern man found in all
strata
FOSSILS—PROBLEM AREAS
♦ Parts or entire organisms have been
distilled off leaving only a carbon
residue instead of actual part
(especially in plants)
♦ Disease or injury of the organism
while it is alive alters the structure
(Neanderthal man)
♦ Fossil remains appear suddenly in
the crust of the earth which
indicates that life began suddenly,
as Gen. 1 says
Two Views – Which is Correct?
Evolution
♦ The oldest rocks bearing evidence of
earliest life forms
♦ Younger rocks containing more
advanced life forms
♦ Gradual change in life forms from the
simple to complex
♦ Large numbers of transitional forms
Two Views – Which is Correct?
Bible (Creation)
♦A sudden and explosive appearance of
diverse and highly complex forms of life
♦No gradual change of life forms from the
simple to complex
♦A regular and systematic absence of
transitional forms
Summary: Fossil Record
Ernst Mayr (Professor Emeritus in the Museum of
Comparative Zoology at Harvard University, Hailed as
the Darwin of the 20th century), What Evolution Is,
2001, p. 14.
“Given the fact of evolution, one would expect
the fossils to document a gradual steady
change from ancestral forms to the
descendants. But this is not what the
paleontologists finds. Instead, he or she finds
gaps in just about every phyletic series.”
Evolution is a matter of faith
CONCLUSION
The Genesis flood explains the geologic
column and the fossil record
TRUST GOD
NOT MAN!!