Although the thought of a worldwide flood that wiped out
almost all plant and animal life on earth and then buried it in the rocks may
seem incredible, that is exactly what Genesis and Psalms say happened,1
what Jesus and the apostles believed 2 and what the geological
evidence supports. The Bible
also talks about the “deeps” being broken up, and the earth divided or
“spread out.” 3 This
likely refers to the oceanic ridges being broken up and where the continents
appear to have been split apart: perhaps in a short period of time.
Such a flood is also described in literature or legend in
over 200 different civilizations from around the world; however, in this short
paper we will focus only on the geological evidence that points to such an event
and what it means for us today.
Worldwide Flood or Miracle?
The fact that many of the same types of fossils are found all over the world, in
the same order, suggests that the whole world was once under water.
We say this because water is required to deposit sedimentary rocks, and
because rapid burial is required to preserve fossils, and because some of the
layers are the size of Nevada, and because there is virtually no evidence
of time (or erosion) between the layers, but rather they appear to have been
laid down like pancakes: one on top of the other.
And since many layers also contain marine fossils, they must have been
the result of an intercontinental or worldwide flood.
Consider a quote by Curt Teichert published in a Bulletin of the Geological
Society of America.
"Such a hypothesis would
require... a highly unlikely pattern of… migrations, where swarms
of species of Manticoceras are followed, everywhere at the same distance and the
same time interval, by swarms of species of Cheiloceras, the two waves
preserving their separate identities on a staggered mass migration around
the world… without evolutionary
changes and without ever becoming mixed..." 4
"It would be easy to repeat this investigation for almost every
critical zone fossil… throughout the geological column for hundreds, perhaps
thousands of... cases… In the words of
Jeletsky… we would have to 'invoke a miracle'… to assume anything but
worldwide contemporaneous deposition for each of the 55 ammonite zones of
the Jurassic. Not all ... occur everywhere, but wherever two or more are
found in superposition they occur in the same order. 4
Saltwater
mollusks in the Black Sea: A
Discover magazine article tells us that “Science… has found evidence for
a massive deluge that may have inspired Noah’s tale.” 5
It involves sediment cores from the Black Sea.
From it we learn that “…over the entire sea bottom was a…layer
of sediment that could only have been deposited during a flood.”
And “within that layer saltwater mollusks appear, all from the
Mediterranean and all dating from around 7600 years ago.” 2
Since the Black Sea is a freshwater Sea that is surrounded by land, this means
that at one time the Mediterranean must have been much higher than at present,
and tells us that the Oceans of the world were higher as well.
Foraminifera from the Gulf of Mexico:
In a 1977 article from Reader’s Digest 6
we learn about one-celled planktonic organisms called foraminifera, and how they
“lock into their shells a chemical record of the temperature and salinity
of the water,” and that “when they reproduce, the shells are
discarded and drop to the bottom.” The article discusses drill cores of sediments
that were taken from the Gulf of Mexico by two oceanographic vessels, and which
indicated that “a dramatic change in salinity” occurred, “providing
compelling evidence of a vast flood of fresh water into the Gulf of Mexico.”
One of the Investigators said that: “There was no question that
there was a flood and… no question that it was a universal flood.” 6
Emphasis Added
Upright Fossil Trees from Coal strata:
Another evidence pointing to a worldwide flood is what Rupke termed
"polystrate fossils." Such fossils are found all over the world
in and around coal seams. They consist mostly of fossil trees of
Sigillaria and Lepidodendron, along with their often fragmented roots called Stigmaria
that are buried at all angles to the horizontal strata.
They range in size from small rootlets to trees over 80 feet long.7,8,9,10
At
Joggins, Nova Scotia, upright fossil trees and roots are found at various
intervals over 14,000 feet of layered strata.
Many are from 10-20 feet in length 8,9 and one was
reported to be 40 feet long. 11,12,13
Only about 1 in 50 of these trees have roots with attached rootlets. 14,15
This tells us they were likely not buried in their growth locations, but
rather were uprooted and transported by a massive flood. Many of the fragmented Stigmaria
roots are also missing their rootlets, and in fact, it is for this reason that
the were so named: i.e. because of the scar marks left behind by their once
present, but now missing, rootlets.
The “underclays” or “fireclays” above and below coal seams also suggest
sedimentary deposition for these beds and the coals themselves, rather than
ancient soils that supported forests. Consider
the following with regard to Coal Groups 1-12 of the Joggins area strata:
“…Therefore,
out of 44 possible soils, only 3 contain both roots and rootlets that are also
situated beneath a coal. …if any of these "soils" contained
roots with attached rootlets, (Dawson) would have eagerly said so.
However, since he didn't, then to say that such beds represent in situ
growth of multiple "forests" is highly questionable.” 16
Stigmaria
roots are also found at all different angles to the strata, as well as in
different types of strata. In this
regard Williamson stated that:
"… Such fragments, both
of roots and rootlets, are extremely abundant. Indeed it is
rare to find a fireclay in which such is not the case, but how these
roots have so often become disturbed and broken up is a question not
easily answered." 17 Emphasis
Added
Lesquereux also noticed that:
"Fragments of Stigmaria…
are generally found… in every kind of compound, clay, shales, sandstone, coal,
even limestone, in carboniferous strata ...
They are always in large proportion, far above that of any other remains
of coal plants." 18
The fact
that similar fossil trees with missing roots and fragmented Stigmaria occur
elsewhere in Canada, as well as the United States, England, France, Germany,
China, and Australia is suggestive of a worldwide flood.
Some of these fossils even cross coal seams. These facts suggest that the Carboniferous, or Coal “era”
simply represents different types of strata laid down during a worldwide flood,
rather than in situ growth of forests in peat bogs over millions of years.
It also suggests that the Earth’s sedimentary strata is best explained
by a worldwide flood, rather than a “Geological Time Chart” of
so-called “eras” that were deposited slowly.
The Grand Canyon and Monument Valley: The Grand Canyon is composed mostly of flat lying
sedimentary strata. Some of its
layers can be traced for hundreds of miles, and some also contain marine
fossils. Its numerous large side
canyons tell us that water must have spilled over both sides of the canyon for
many miles. Such a scenario again
points to a very large portion of our continent being under water.
There is also a good chance that the massive flood that spilled over both
sides of the Grand Canyon is the same body of water that flowed through Monument
Valley to the North, and that left behind large sandstone monuments.
Mt. St. Helens:
Between 1980-1982 various
eruptions at Mt. St. Helens produced sedimentary-type layers hundreds of feet
thick and also carved a canyon it their midst in a single day.
One was a hurricane velocity deposit that produced thousands of thin laminations
up to 25 feet thick. 19,20,21 The third eruption was a lava
flow that turned into a hot mudflow as it crossed the Toutle
River. The mudflow not only diverted the river but also carved a
17-mile-long series of canyons up to 140 feet deep in a matter of
hours.
They call it the Little Grand Canyon of the Toutle River.
22 For
more on this see Mt. St. Helens: Evidence in Support of Biblical Catastrophe.
Spontaneous Sorting of Layers:
Laboratory experiments have shown that spontaneous
sorting and layering of sediments can and does occur with a sand, mud, and clay
slurry. When the mixture slows down, the sand, mud, and clay
will spontaneously precipitate (or settle out) and form individual layers. 23 Dr. Guy Berthault has
demonstrated this in laboratory experiments. 24,25,25,26,27,28
Those who want to see this for themselves can do so by
ordering: Evolution: Fact or Belief, 29 or Experiments in
Stratification. 30
Conclusion: It seems likely
that there was a worldwide flood in the recent past.
According to Jesus and the apostles, this means that God will come back
to judge the world in the future as well: Matt. 7:21-23; 24:32-25:46; I Pet.
1:13-19, 3:20; 2 Pet. 2:4-9; 3:3-7. My
hope is to be ready and not caught off-guard when this happens: Col. 1:15-18;
3:1-4; I John 2:28-3:3.
References:
1.
Gen. 6:5-8:22; Ps. 104:5-9
2.
Matt. 24:36-39; 2 Pet. 2:4-9; 3:3-6; I Pet. 3:18-20
3.
Gen. 10:25; Prov. 3:19-20; Isa. 42:5
4.
Teichert, Curt,
"Some Biostratigraphical Concepts," Bulletin of the Geological Society
of America, Vol. 69, Jan.1958, p.111.
5.
Svitil, Kathy A.,
"Forty Days and Forty Nights, More or Less," Discover, Jan.
1999, p. 69.
6.
Warshofsky, Fred,
"Noah, The Flood, the Facts," Readers Digest, Sept. 1977, pp.
132-134.
7.
Berg, R. S., Upright
Trees in Coal: www.earthage.org/What%20is%20Wrong%20with%20this%20Picture.htm
8.
Berg, R. S., The
'Fossil Forests' of Nova Scotia, Pt. Two: www.earthage.org/polystrate/Fossil%20Forests%20part_2.htm
9.
Rupke, N.A., “A Study
of Cataclysmic Sedimentation,” Creation Res. Soc. Quart., Vol. 3,
1966, p. 23
10.
Bölsche, W., 1918, Im
Steinkohlenwald, Stuttgart, Franckh’sche Verlagshandlung, 16th impr. P. 34.
11.
Dawson, John W., 1868,
“Acadian Geology,” 2nd ed. Macmillan & Co., London, pp. 150-202.
12.
Berg, R. S., The
"Fossil Forests" of Nova Scotia: www.earthage.org/polystrate/Fossil%20Trees%20of%20Nova%20Scotia.htm.
Part Two of this paper
discusses one of the rare trees that had both roots and rootlets.
The author does not think it was in
growth position because it was filled
with different sediments than that which surrounded it.
13.
Gessner, Abraham, 1836, Remarks on the Geology and Mineralogy of Nova
Scotia. 272 pp.
See also: www.earthage.org/polystrate/slightly_modified_version%20of%20online%20post.htm
14.
See ref. 9
above: section on Extensive Root Systems, or Root Systems Extensively Missing?.
See also: www.earthage.org/polystrate/Early%20Mississippian%20lycopsid%20forests.htm
15.
See refs. 8 and 9 above.
16.
Berg, R.,
S. See ref. # 9 above: “The Underclays of Joggins”.
Link located at bottom of article.
17.
Williamson,
C. W., 1887, "A Monograph on the Morphology and Histology of Stigmaria
ficoides," p.12,
London Palaeontograhical
Society.
18.
Lesquereux,
Leo, 1880, "Description of the Coal Flora of the Carboniferous Formation in
Pennsylvania and
Throughout the United States,"
Vol. 1, pp. 510-513.
19.
The
Little Grand Canyon: located at: www.nwcreation.net/presentations/geology/sld034.htm
20.
Ham, Ken, I Got Excited
at Mt. St. Helens: www.answersingenesis.org/creation/v15/i3/mtsthelens.asp. Also
published in
Creation mag., Vol. 15, No, 3,
June-Aug., 1993, pp. 14-19. Creation
mag. is now called Answers.
21.
Austin, Steven A.,
Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe, pp. 37-39,94, 97-98.
Available through
www.icr.org,
www.answersingenesis.org, www.amazon.com,
as well as many other outlets.
22.
Morris,
John D., Ph.D., The Young Earth, 1994, Creation Life Publishers, Inc., pp.
106-107. Available through www.icr.org,
www.answersingenesis.org,
www.amazon.com, or other
sources.
23.
Mt. St.
Helens: Evidence in Support of Biblical Catastrophe, at:
www.nwcreation.net/mtsthelens.html.
24.
www.answersingenesis.org/home/area/magazines/tj/docs/v11n1_sedexp_reply.asp.
25.
www.cnt.ru/users/chas/strat_en.htm.
26.
Julien, Pierre Y.,
Yongqiang Lan and Guy Berthault, "Experiments on Stratification of
Heterogeneous Sand Mixtures,"
Creation Ex Nihilo Technical Journal,
Vol. 8, No. 1, 1994, pp. 37-50.
27.
Austin, Steven A.,
"Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe," 1994, Institute for Creation
Research, Santee, CA, 92071, pp. 37-39.
28.
Kuenen, P. H.,
"Experimental Turbidite Lamination in a Circular Flume," Journal of
Geology, Vol. 74, 1966, pp. 523-545.
This ref. was obtained from
"Grand Canyon: Monument to Catastrophe," Edited by Steven A.Austin,
1994, pp. 38, 54, ref. #67
29.
Evolution:
Fact or Belief; Video available from www.creationtruth.com/Bookstore/Video/V-022.htm
or from www.icr.org,
www.answersingenesis.org,
www.amazon.com, or other
sources.
30.
Experiments in Stratification: Video available from www.arky.org/store/catalog.php?selected_title=e.
Also available through
www.icr.org,
www.answersingenesis.org, or amazon.com.
Copyright
2008, Randy S. Berg
Permission is granted to copy and use for Educational purposes.