Flood model
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
Catastrophists have developed a number of flood models which attempt to explain what happened during the global flood from a geologic perspective. While any one, or all of these models may be disproven, the fact of a global cataclysm happening as a result of God's intervention is a fact. Thus, the Flood is not a hypothesis that can be falsified.
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Canopy theory
- Main Article: Canopy theory
The canopy theory proposes that the primary source of the flood waters came from a canopy of water either in vapor or solid state high in the upper atmosphere. The canopy was formed during the the creation week and was destroyed at the time of the flood. The 40 days of rain were the result of condensation of the water vapor into liquid rain water. The amount of water vapor was to supply enough water to cover the mountains by 15 cubits of water.
This theory has fallen into disfavor for an assortment of reasons that are explained in the main article of canopy theory. Not the least of these is the latent heat of condensation and the need to dissipate the heat to space in a short time.
Hydroplate theory
- Main Article: Hydroplate theory
In a series of interconnected subterranean chambers below the crust of the earth existed a layer of highly pressurized water. At the time of the flood, these waters broke through the crust as high pressure, hot geysers high above the atmosphere. The crust of the earth split apart forming the continental arrangement we have now. The atlantic ocean floor rose and on the opposite side of the earth the crust sank forming the pacific ocean.
While it is a fairly popular theory, it does not find much support among creationary geologists.
Catastrophic plate tectonics
- Main Article: Catastrophic plate tectonics
Catastrophic Plate Tectonics (CPT) shares some ideas of plate tectonics, but on a much faster scale. During the flood the viscosity of the mantle become reduced by several magnitudes causing pre-flood oceanic plates to sink into the deep mantle. This set up currents in mantle which broke apart former continental land masses and drug them across the surface of the earth. The former oceanic plate masses would stop sinking upon reaching the bottom of the mantle. The viscosity of the mantle would revert to normal, mantle currents would stop moving and the continents would come to a stop.
This violent activity would cause massive tsunami flooding. Steam jets from high tempeature exposed mantle would rise above the atmosphere. Condensed water vapor would rain on the planet. The newly exposed oceanic floors would be at higher elevations, flooding the continents.
This is a popular theory among creationary scientists and geologists, but it has its critics and problem. The removal of heat created by the process, as with all flood models, remains a problem.
Asteroid impacts
In 1998, just 4 years after Comet Shoemaker-Levi 9 impacted Jupiter, the Asteroid Impact model was introduce at the 4th International Conference on Creation.[1] This model takes into consideration the 170+ impact craters of all sizes that exist throughout the flood's geologic record. These impacts during the year long flood represent an unprecedented and massive amount of asteroid impact activity. The largest asteroid impact alone could have caused, magnitude 11 earthquakes, 3 km high tsunami, global torrential rains, mega-hurrican winds, and global winter. The combined effect of all the known impacts would be of a cataclysmic catastrophe scale. It is estimated that actual number of asteroid impacts during the flood could have exceed 1000.
Catastrophic plate tectonics
The vast amount of energy injected into the planet by the impacts is suggested to have also triggered CPT. This model has plusses and minuses, such as the removal of generated heat, but is generally too new to be well discussed.
Vertical plate tectonics
- Main Article: Vertical plate tectonics
Instead of triggering CPT, asteroid impact caused local to regional vertical depression of the crust. Thus large areas would be be flooded due to differences in elevation.
This model, known as vertical plate tectonics is also, very new. It too must deal with removal of excess heat and provide good explanation of more geologic features of the earth.
Notes
- ↑ Spencer, W.R., 1998, "Geophysical Effects of Impacts during the Genesis Flood", Proceedings of the 4th International Conference on Creation
See Also
- Catastrophic Plate Tectonics
- Hydroplate theory
- Vertical Plate Tectonics
- Continental drift
- Oard's Flood Follies (EvoWiki)
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