Basic HTML Version
Aprii-May, 1970
feet deep and len miles long. What
caused such scarring?
"The most interesting feature of
these channels," admitted geologist
John Shelton, " is the evidence that their
origin was almost certainly dominated
by one or more
GIGANTIC FLOODS
of
short duration rather than erosion at
normal rates by rivers of normal size"
(John S. Shelton,
Geology llbutrated,
San Francisco: W. H. Freeman, 1966,
p.
344).
Huge grave! bars 100 to 150 feet
high occur in expected places - at the
mouths of tributaries or just below
obstructions. Granitic boulders as large
as 20 feet across have been found 50
miles downstream from their place of
origin.
Ripple Marks - Evidence of
Vast Flooding
Even more shocking is the following:
"Many of the gravel bars bear giaot
ripples on their surface - asymmetric
wavelike undulations up to 20 feet high
and 300 feet
f
rom crest to crest" (
1bid.,
p. 348). At various places along Clark
Fork in western Montana grave! bars
bear giant ripples up to 50 feet bigh and
as much as 500 feet from crest to crest.
At present little is known about the
relationship of ripple amplitude and
wavelength of ri pples to velocity of
generating current. It was admitted that
the current must havc been "cnormous."
Shelton d iscusscd thc "strong proba–
bility that only
COLOSSAL FLOODS
could
produce such effects"
( !bid.,
p. 348).
Currents peelcd off entire layers of
jointed lava. Thcy scooped out miles–
long basins in solid rock. The currents
left immensc bouldery gravel bars bear–
ing "elephantinc ripples."
"Can we find rcasonable circum–
stances and mechanisms to account for
them ?" geologist Shelton asks on page
348. How
can
wc find a "reasonable"
explanation for a calcu lated discharge
that may have reached a maximum of
well over
ONE H UNDRED TIMES
flood
stage on the lowcr Mississippi?
Catas trophic FJooding
Only Answer
Shelton summarizes on a catastrophic
note.
"The sheer magnitude of the whole
Tbe
PLAIN TRUTH
scabland complex and the many ways in
which it
EXCEEDS
the bounds of normal
stream action erosion and deposilion
seem to justify, if indeed they do not
DEMAND,
an outside agent operating
under extraordinary conditions" (John
S. Shelton,
Geology Il111strated,
San
Francisco: W. H . Freeman, 1966, p.
351).
This piece of evidence stands as
irrefutable proof that aH things have
not gone on as they do today. It shows
that the present is
NOT
always the key
to the past. Vast natural calamities on a
scale not occurring today have wrecked
and devastated the earth in thc time of
man.
The Proof of Worldwide
Catastrophe
We have, of coursc, come to thc crux
of the matter. The worldwide fossil evi–
dence makes it quite clear that world–
wide flooding, land depression, moun–
tain uplifts, volcanic eruptions, earth–
quakes, tremendous winds, enormous
amounts of precipitation, and in some
places suddeo formation of ice combin<:d
to wipe out whole genera of animal life
worldwide.
Are these facts worthy of catastrophic
thinking? The answer, after examining
a tiny portion of the evidence can only
be, "Absolutely
!"
So striking is this evidence, that it led
scientist Rhodes W. Fairbridge to rnake
the following statement in
Sáentific
American:
"A deluge such as that dcscribed in
the Book of Genesis occurs in th<: leg–
ends and folklore of almost every
ancient people ...
"Such agreement among the legends
of so many peoples living in distant
parts of the world has caused scholars
in modero times to wonder
WHETHER
mankind did in truth experiencc the
worldwide catastrophe of a deluge"
(Rhodes W. Fairbridge, "The Changíng
Leve! of the Sea,"
Scientific American,
Vol. 202, No. 5, May, 1960, p. 70).
But few people, it seems have
thoroughly looked into thc Genesis ac–
couot to see what it really says. Pre–
historians would be amazed to find the
Bible actually explains many aspects
23
of the geological record which seem
paradoxical.
For example, prehistorians do oot
understand why so many land animals
became extinct. When one takes the
Genesis account into consideration, the
answer becomes obvious.
We read in Genesis 7:22 that
"ALL
in whose nostrils was the breath of life,
of all that was in the dry land died."
In other words, all breathing creatures
perished except. ...
Except for the fact, that Genesis
tells us about the great commission of
Noah. He was told to take "of every
living thing of all Resh, two of every
sort shalt thou bring into the ark, to keep
them alive with thee; they shall be male
and female." (Genesis 6:19.)
This clearly explains
WHY
so many
mammals became extinct. Noah took
representatives of various mammal
groups- but certainly
NOT
every
variety. We have, for example, certain
species of elephants with us today
- but not all the different species.
The woolly mammoth and mastodon,
relatives of the modero elephant, died
in the flood. Representatives of ele–
phants which Noah took on board the
ark simply have not diversified back
into those earlier varieties.
What about mountain building, earth–
quakes, volcanoes so often evident ín
the geologícal record? Again, the Gen–
esis account mentions the!T' - however
briefly: "In the six hundredth year of
Noah's lífe ... were all the fountains
of the great deep broken up." (Genesis
7:1
1.)
However, David in the book of
Psalms refers to this worldwide upheaval
and flooding more completely.
"The waters rose over the moun–
tains; but they retired at thy rebuke ...
never to pass thine appointed bounds,
or cover earth again;
THE MOUNTAJNS
ROSE, THE VALLEYS SANK
to the place
thou madest for them." (Psalm 104:6-9,
Moffatt translation.)
There is no doubt, the Bible account
clearly agrees with the evidence cited in
this article. The facts of geology aod
paleontology continually reaffirm the
details recorded in the book of Genesis
- of the watery catastrophe of universal
proportions.
o