Biblical
* The early Flood day-one event is described as a
Mabul (Hebrew 'Utter destruction') and is the same word as used to describe the utter destruction of Soddom and Gommorrah a few chapters later. This suggests that, irrespective of mechanisms, perhaps we don't see the fossilization of the pre-Flood terrestial world.
* Shortly after the Flood the Bible (Gen 10) comments on the naming of the patriach Peleg for 'in his days the earth was divided'. If this does describe the break-up of Pangea, the super-continent, this means the Flood had ended some time in the Paleozoic.
Scientific
In common with Ecological-zoning Models ('Standard' YEC Flood)
* The geological column, at the formation level, demonstrates much evidence of rapidity and violence in origin.
* In any one region, the geological column demonstrates surprsingly few significant breaks in layering ('unconformities').
* The fossil record is consistent with a record of primarily overlapping stasis with very few good examples of transitions.
* Helium retention results by the RATE group suggest that radio-decay was accelerated in the past thus lending plausability to young-age geo/paleo-models of earth history.
In common with mainstream geology & paleontology
* The geological column deomstrates too many breaks in layering, including interfaces displaying significant terrestial habitation, for the Paleozoic to Cenozoic to have been laid during the Flood year.
* There are some good examplkes of what appear to be genuine bioogical radiations in the fossi record best interpreted as transforamtions over time. The horse series is a good example.
Of specific relevance to the model in question
* The largest covering of the earth by water since the Cambrian occurred in the Ordovician period, in the early Paleozoic. It is descibed by Cambridge University geologist van Andel in New Views on an Old Planet (1994) :
"Regarding the early Palaeozoic in this bright light, we find a wet world, its continents inundated far more than they have ever been since then, and the rise of the sea continuing. Before this
rise ended,
very little land remained above water." (p 179)
For Christians, there is some serious motivation to attempt to interperet this early Paleozoic event as the Biblical Flood.
* Terristial track-ways first appear in Devonian strata (ie mid-Paleozoic) perhaps approxaimtely marking the post-Flood boundary.
* Since the early Paleozoic the Earth has never been flooded by more than 50% of its land surface.
* At the Mesozoic/Paleozoic boundary we see the break-up of the super-continent Pangea.
Again, for Christians, there is some serious motivation to attempt to interperet this continental drift as the post-Flood 'in his days the earth was divided' event.
* The terrestial fossil order of reptiles, dinosuars, mammals, birds and man is somewhat consistent with the naive expectations of recolonization. Reptiles and dinosaurs have vast breeding rates illustrated by the large numbers of eggsfoudn in fossilized dinosaur nests (up to 50 or more) and dinosaurs rapidly matured. Mankind would have been particularly slow to migrate. Whether this can explain the fossil record in detail is a vast project which is being undertaken by UK creationists at present.
Predictions section coming . .
This message has been edited by Tranquility Base, 06-20-2005 12:51 AM
™ Version 4.2