Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings NEGLECT of GEOLOGIC DATA Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings
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Daniel E. Wonderly NEGLECT OF GEOLOGIC DATA: Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings NEGLECT OF GEOLOGIC DATA Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings Daniel E. Wonderly (For background of author, see last page) To the reader: In keeping with the purpose of this book, it is necessary that the title be somewhat negative in character. However, you will find that most of the chapters contain large sections of positive information on various aspects of the earth's sedimentary cover. Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute Hatfield, Pennsylvania 1 Neglect of Geologic Data NEGLECT OF GEOLOGIC DATA: Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings Copyright 1987 by Daniel E. Wonderly Reprinted 1993 (typeset, with stylistic changes) and 1999 by Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute P.O. Box 423 Hatfield, PA 19440-0423 www.biblical.edu In the printings of 1993 and 1999, all page numbers are different from those of the original 1987 printing, but those of 1993 and 1999 are the same. Electronic edition created 2006. All page numbers are different from the printed editions. Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 87-82296 ISBN 0-944788-00-9 IBRI publications serve as a forum to stimulate discussion of topics relevant to the interaction of the Bible with various academic disciplines. Opinions expressed are the author's own. IBRI's doctrinal statement may be found in our annual catalog of publications. Cover: Geologic map of the westernmost county of Maryland, showing that a broad, very thick area of the Mississippian and Pennsylvanian (younger) rock systems has been worn off by extended erosion. For additional explanation, see pp. 57-60. Cover design by James I. Newman. 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION TO THE ELECTRONIC EDITION .......................................................6 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ...................................................................................................7 FOREWORD .........................................................................................................................8 LIST OF FIGURES .............................................................................................................11 INTRODUCTION ...............................................................................................................13 CHAPTER 1 ANCIENT EROSION, FORMATIONS*, AND DEPOSITION OF STRATA ..................................................................................................................17 SOME REASONS FOR THE GRADING OF VARIOUS FORMATIONS INTO THOSE ADJACENT TO THEM ....................................................................................................................24 SOME EXAMPLES OF ANCIENT EROSION IN THE SEDIMENTARY COVER OF THE EARTH ....25 1. Carbonate Hardground Surfaces ..............................................................................25 2. Some Ancient Erosional Features of the Grand Canyon of Arizona .......................28 3. Examples of Ancient Erosion Which Are Observable in the Appalachians............31 CHAPTER 2 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GREAT THICKNESSES OF SEDIMENTARY ROCKS IN THE APPALACHIAN REGION AND OTHER AREAS...................39 1. Quantities of Lithified Sediments ............................................................................39 2. Discussion ................................................................................................................40 3. Unsupportable Hypotheses of Limestone Deposition..............................................43 4. In Situ Growth Structures Ignored by Young-Earth Creationists ............................45 5. Analogical Theory and Created Order .....................................................................46 CHAPTER 3 NEGLECT OF DATA CONCERNING ROCK LITHIFICATION.............49 1. Misconceptions of Far-reaching Proportions...........................................................49 2. Rock Cementation Processes ...................................................................................49 3. Methods and Rates of Rock Cementation................................................................51 4. Postulating an Unnatural “Plumbing System” .........................................................53 CHAPTER 4 CATASTROPHISM AND “ABSENT” STRATA.......................................55 1. “Flood Geology” and Scientific Models..................................................................55 2. The Rumored Revival of Catastrophism..................................................................55 3. Why We Do Not Find All of the Rock Strata Systems* Everywhere on Earth.......56 CHAPTER 5 MAJOR FACTORS WHICH HAVE CONTRIBUTED TO THE NEGLECT OF GEOLOGIC DATA BY CREATIONIST LEADERS ......................................61 1. Early Influences and Assumptions...........................................................................61 2. Influence from Current Philosophy of Science........................................................62 3. Lack of Acquaintance with the Various Branches of Geology................................64 3 Neglect of Geologic Data 4. Isolation from the Earth-Science Professions ..........................................................66 5. Using Only Small Packets of Data...........................................................................67 CHAPTER 6 RAPID BURIAL OF ORGANISMS AND SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURES TO BE FOSSILIZED ....................................................................69 1. Introduction..............................................................................................................69 2. Principles Having to Do with Burials ......................................................................70 3. Some Examples of Known, Large Sediment Flows.................................................71 4. Sediment Flows as Agents of Terrestrial Burial ......................................................73 5. Fossils Which Were Buried in the Diatomaceous-Earth Deposits at Lompoc, California..........................................................................................................73 6. The Burial of Non-living, Ephemeral Sedimentary Structures................................76 CHAPTER 7 FOSSIL DISTRIBUTION AND THE “ECOLOGICAL ZONING” HYPOTHESIS .........................................................................................................77 1. Examples of Great Differences Between Ancient and Modern Forms of Animals.78 2. A Great Fossil Group Which Did Not Sink During the Flood.................................80 3. More Concerning the Fossils Which Supposedly “Stayed Down”..........................82 4. Microfossils*—No Possible Way to Have Hidden..................................................82 5. The “Ecological Zoning” Hypothesis ......................................................................85 CHAPTER 8 EVAPORITES*—OCEAN-FLOOR AND CONTINENTAL TYPES OF SALT DEPOSITS ....................................................................................................90 1. Halite (Sodium Chloride) Deposits of the Deep Ocean Floors................................90 2. Precipitation of Evaporites in Relatively Deep Bodies of Water on the Continents91 3. Organic Matter in Ancient Evaporite Deposits........................................................92 CHAPTER 9 CYCLIC EVAPORITE STRATA UNDERLYING LARGE AREAS OF THE CONTINENTS................................................................................................98 1. Introduction and Regional Setting ...........................................................................98 2. The Basal Laminites of the Muskeg Formation.....................................................101 3. The Limestone Formation and Reefs on Which the Muskeg Evaporites Were Deposited........................................................................................................102 4. Desert-Coast Evaporite Cycles Covering the Reefs...............................................107 5. Cyclic Evaporites and Reefs in the Michigan Basin..............................................117 CHAPTER 10 CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................................119 APPENDIX AN EXAMPLE OF THE GRADING OF FORMATIONS INTO EACH OTHER ..................................................................................................................124 REFERENCES CITED......................................................................................................126 GLOSSARY OF GEOLOGICAL TERMS .......................................................................136 4 Contents SUBJECT INDEX .............................................................................................................145 BACKGROUND OF THE AUTHOR...............................................................................146 5 INTRODUCTION TO THE ELECTRONIC EDITION In 1977, Daniel E. (Dan) Wonderly published God’s Time – Records in Ancient Sediment through Crystal Press, Flint, Michigan. This was followed in 1987 by Neglect of Geologic Data: Sedimentary Strata Compared with Young-Earth Creationist Writings, published by Interdisciplinary Biblical Research Institute (IBRI), Hatfield, Pennsylvania. When IBRI reprinted Neglect in 1993 (“typeset, with stylistic changes”), Dan included this note: October 1997 This new printing was slightly impaired as to its content by one of the IBRI editors who reworded about one-half of the sentences in most