Table of Contents
Foreword 11
Preface 13
Introduction
Why Take Genesis Seriously? 15
Genesis as Reliable History 16
Jesus Regarded Genesis as Real History 18
The Apostle Peter's Prophecy 18
The Reliability of the Whole Bible Depends on Genesis as History 19
The Pivotal Importance of the Flood 20
Section I The Biblical Record of the Global Genesis Flood
Chapter 1 Moses Compiled Genesis 25
Chapter 2 The Duration of the Flood 27
Forty Days of Rain 27
150 Days of "Prevailing" 28
221 Days of "Assuaging" and "Abating" 28
Chapter 3 The Depth of the Flood 31
Chapter 4 Geological Details of the Flood 34
Chapter 5 The Size of the Ark 36
Chapter 6 The Need for the Ark 39
Chapter 7 The Testimony of the Apostle Peter 43
Chapter 8 The Testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ 46
Chapter 9 The Total Destruction of a Widely Distributed Human Race 48
All Mankind Perished 48
Chapter 10 The Total Destruction of a Widely Distributed Human Race - The Human Race Had Spread Around the Earth 52
Longevity and Population Growth 52
The Prevalence of Violence 55
Human Fossil Evidence 57
Chapter 11 Summary and Conclusion 59
Section II Non-Geological Arguments Used Against the Global Genesis Flood
Chapter 12 Introduction 63
Chapter 13 The Genesis Flood Story Derived from the Babylonian Flood Myth 65
Chapter 14 No Global Flood in Recent Geological and Human History 70
Chapter 15 All Mankind Not Descended from Noah's Family 72
The Sons of Noah 72
The Table of Nations 73
The Bible and Racial Distribution 74
Chapter 16 Anthropology and Racial Dispersion 76
Recent Migration from Asia 76
Universal Flood Traditions 77
Chapter 17 Universal Terms: Used in a Limited Sense? 82
Most Universal Terms Are to Be Interpreted Literally 82
The Context Determines the Meaning 82
Chapter 18 Universal Terms Are Literal in Genesis 6-9 Because of the Physical Phenomena 87
Chapter 19 Summary and Conclusions 91
Section III Noah, the Ark, and the Animals
Chapter 20 Gathering the Animals to the Ark 95
Chapter 21 The Capacity of the Ark 98
Chapter 22 Caring for the Animals in the Ark 106
Chapter 23 The "Natural-Supernatural" Philosophy of Miracles 111
Chapter 24 Post-Flood Animal Distribution - The Australian Marsupials 116
Three Major Views 116
Australian Marsupials 117
Chapter 25 Post-Flood Animal Distribution - Rapid Animal Dispersion 121
Rapid Breeding and Diversification 123
Chapter 26 Summary and Conclusions 126
Section IV The Framework for a Biblical Geology
Chapter 27 Introduction 131
Chapter 28 The Scriptural Divisions of Geologic History 135
The First Creative Act 135
The Work of the Six Days of Creation 135
The Pre-Flood Period 136
The Flood 136
The Post-Flood Period 136
General Comments 136
Chapter 29 The Beginning of Creation 138
Chapter 30 The First Day 142
Chapter 31 The Second Day 145
Chapter 32 The Third Day 147
Chapter 33 The Fourth Day 150
Chapter 34 The Fifth Day 154
Chapter 35 The Sixth Day - Land Animals and Man 156
Chapter 36 The Sixth Day - Adam and Eve 160
Chapter 37 The Seventh Day 164
Chapter 38 The Fall 166
Chapter 39 The Curse 171
Chapter 40 The Pre-Flood World 175
Chapter 41 The Flood 181
Chapter 42 The Post-Flood World 187
Chapter 43 Concluding Comments 193
Section V The Modern Geological Synthesis
Chapter 44 Introduction 197
Chapter 45 The Geologic Column 199
Historical Development 199
Terminology Used 202
Chapter 46 A Classic Example of a Local Geologic Column 205
Chapter 47 Correlation of Strata Between Local Geologic Columns 208
Chapter 48 The Precambrian of the Geologic Column 213
Chapter 49 Implications of the Geologic Column 217
Chapter 50 Patterns and Trends in the Geologic Column - Involving Different Rock Types 220
Patterns Involving Sedimentary Rocks 220
Patterns Involving Igneous Rocks 221
A Pattern Involving Metamorphic Rocks 224
Chapter 51 Patterns and Trends in the Geologic Column - Involving Relative Sea-Level Changes 225
Chapter 52 Patterns and Trends in the Geologic Column - Involving the Fossil Record 227
Chapter 53 Patterns and Trends in the Geologic Column - Involving Metal Ore Deposits 234
Chapter 54 A Brief History of Plate Tectonics 237
Chapter 55 The Development of the Plate Tectonics Theory 242
Chapter 56 Global Plate Tectonics: The Unifying Model 245
Chapter 57 Plate Tectonics: Controlling the Formation of the Rock Record - Divergent Plate Margins and the Ocean Floor 251
Chapter 58 Plate Tectonics: Controlling the Formation of the Rock Record - Plates That Collide: Convergent Margins 256
Chapter 59 Plate Tectonics: Controlling the Formation of the Rock Record - Transform Plate Margins and Plate Interiors 263
Transform Plate Margins 263
Plate Interiors 264
Chapter 60 Concluding Comments 268
Section VI Geological Implications of the Biblical Geologic Model for Earth History
Chapter 61 Geological Implications of the Biblical Record 271
The Uniqueness of the Creation Week 272
Enormous Geological Work Accomplished During the Creation Week 272
A Stable Pre-Flood World 273
Tremendous Erosion from the Rainfall During the Early Stage of the Flood 273
Clouds Not the Major Source of the Flood Rainfall and Waters 273
Enlarged Ocean Basins as a Result of the Flood? 274
Volcanic and Seismic Upheavals During the Flood 275
Unprecedented Sedimentary Activity Again During the Flood 275
Ideal Conditions for the Formation of Fossils During the Flood 276
Uniformitarianism Also Undermined by the Flood 276
Chapter 62 The Renewed Recognition of Catastrophism 278
Chapter 63 Evidences of Catastrophism in the Geologic Column - Rate of Sediment Accumulation and Widespread Rapidly-Deposited Strata 284
Rate of Sediment Accumulation 284
Widespread, Rapidly Water-Deposited Strata 286
Chapter 64 The Widespread, Rapidly Water-Deposited Paleozoic Strata of the Grand Canyon, Arizona - Limestones 288
Chapter 65 The Widespread, Rapidly Water-Deposited, Paleozoic Strata of the Grand Canyon, Arizona - Sandstones 292
Chapter 66 The Widespread, Rapidly Water-Deposited, Paleozoic Strata of the Grand Canyon, Arizona - Shales 298
Chapter 67 Other Examples of Widespread, Rapidly Water-Deposited Strata 303
The Shinarump Conglomerate, Utah 303
The Uluru Arkose and Mt. Currie Conglomerate, Central Australia 303
Kingston Peak Formation, Southeastern California 305
Hawkesbury Sandstone, Sydney Basin, Australia 306
Megasequences of North America 308
Chapter 68 Fossilization 310
Preservation of Unaltered Remains 310
Preservation by Permineralization 311
Preservation by Recrystallization 312
Preservation by Replacement 312
Preservation of Only the Original Forms in Casts and Molds 312
Preservation of Carbon Only (Carbonization) 312
Preservation of the Tracks and Trails 312
Chapter 69 Fossil Graveyards 314
The Cambrian Burgess Shale, British Columbia, Canada 314
The Ordovician Soom Shale, South Africa 314
The Devonian Thunder Bay Limestone, Michigan 315
The Carboniferous Montceau Shale, Central France 315
The Carboniferous Francis Creek Shale, Mazon Creek Area, Illinois 316
The Triassic Mont San Giorgio Basin, Italy-Switzerland 317
The Triassic Cow Branch Formation, Cascade, Virginia 318
The Cretaceous Santana Formation, Brazil 318
The Cretaceous Tepexi Limestone, Mexico 319
The Cretaceous Djadokhta Formation, Nemget Basin, Ukhaa Tolgod Area, Mongolia 320
Chapter 70 Coal Beds - Fossil Graveyards of Plants Transported and Deposited by Water 322
Theories of Origin 322
Chapter 71 Coal Beds - Fossil Graveyards of Plants That Grew Floating on Water 326
Underclays - Fossil Soils? 329
Upright Fossilized Trees 331
Chapter 72 Further Examples of Fossil Graveyards 333
Mass Extinctions 336
Chapter 73 The Rate of Fossilization 337
Petrification by Silicification 337
Fossilization by Phosphatization 338
Fossilization by Biofilms 340
Fossilization by Pyritization 340
Coalification 341
Chapter 74 Are There Long Ages Between the Strata? 343
Chapter 75 Soft-Sediment Deformation Features 349
Chapter 76 Summary 355
Section VII A Biblical Geologic Model of Earth History
Chapter 77 The Creation Week 359
The Creation Week Processes Unique 359
The Laws of Thermodynamics 360
Chapter 78 The First Two Days 365
The First Day 365
The Second Day 367
Chapter 79 The Third Day 370
Chapter 80 The Fourth Day to the End of the Creation Week 375
Chapter 81 Creation of "Appearance of Age" 380
Chapter 82 Cosmological Evolution and the "Big Bang" 384
Chapter 83 The Pre-Flood Era - The "Waters Above the Firmament" 389
The Fall and the Beginning of the Pre-Flood Era 389
The "Waters Above the Firmament" 390
Chapter 84 The Pre-Flood Era - Climate Conditions Before the Flood 394
Chapter 85 The Pre-Flood Era - The Biology and Geology 397
Some Unique Pre-Flood Biological Communities 397
Geologic Activity in the Pre-Flood World 399
Chapter 86 The Flood - A Global Tectonic Catastrophe 402
A Global Tectonic Catastrophe 402
Chapter 87 Catastrophic Plate Tectonics - The Driving Force of the Flood 406
Chapter 88 Where is the Pre-Flood/Flood Boundary in the Geologic Record? 416
A Mechanical-Erosional Discontinuity 416
A Time or Age Discontinuity 416
A Tectonic Discontinuity 416
A Sedimentary Discontinuity 417
A Paleontological Discontinuity 417
Chapter 89 The Destructive Power of Floods and Ocean Waves 419
Chapter 90 Sedimentation and Fossilization During the Flood 425
Chapter 91 The Order of the Strata Deposited by the Flood 427
Pre-Flood Biogeography 428
Early Burial of Marine Creatures 429
Hydrodynamic Selectivity of Moving Water 430
Behavior and Higher Mobility of the Vertebrates 431
Chapter 92 The Order of the Flood Strata - Other Considerations in the Strata Sequence 434
Bioturbation and Mass Extinctions 434
Formation of Coal Beds 435
Chapter 93 Animal Tracks and Fossils in Mesozoic Strata 438
Chapter 94 The Flood/Post-Flood Boundary in the Geologic Record 441
Biblical Considerations 441
Geological Considerations 442
Chapter 95 The Post-Flood World 448
Post-Flood Geology 448
Post-Flood Climate 449
Chapter 96 The Post-Flood Ice Age - A Consequence of the Flood 452
The Ice Age as a Consequence of the Flood 454
Chapter 97 The Post-Flood Ice Age - Geomorphic Features and Ice-Age Animals 459
Chapter 98 From the Ice Age to the Present World 464
Section VIII Problems in Biblical Geology Solved - Radioactive Dating and Geochronology
Chapter 99 The Radioactive Methods for Dating Rocks 471
The Radioactive Methods for Dating Rocks 471
The Assumptions of Radioactive Dating 472
Chapter 100 The Pitfalls in the Radioactive Dating Methods - The Potassium-Argon and Argon-Argon Methods 475
"Excess" or Inherited Argon 475
Argon Loss 478
Chapter 101 The Pitfalls in the Radioactive Dating Methods - The Rubidium-Strontium Dating Method 480
Anomalous Rb-Sr Isochrons 480
Open-System Behavior, Mixing and Resetting 482
Chapter 102 The Pitfalls in the Radioactive Dating Methods - The Samarium-Neodymium Dating Method 485
Sm-Nd Model Ages 487
Chapter 103 The Pitfalls in the Radioactive Dating Methods - The Uranium-Thorium-Lead Dating Method 488
Open-System Behavior 488
Inheritance 489
Pb-Pb Isotope "Dating," Inheritance and Mixing 491
Chapter 104 The Pitfalls in the Radioactive Dating Methods - Sundry Methods and Revealing Considerations 494
The Lutetium-Hafnium and Rhenium-Osmium Radioisotope Dating Methods 494
How Much Radioactive Decay Has Actually Occurred? 495
Do Radioisotope "Ages" Match the Claimed Stratigraphic "Ages"? 495
Do "Ages" Determined by the Different Radioisotope "Dating" Methods Agree? 496
Chapter 105 The Pitfalls in the Radioactive Dating Methods - Variations in Radioactive Decay Rates and "Apparent Age" 500
A "Grown" Creation with an "Apparent Age" 503
Chapter 106 The Pitfalls in the Radioactive Dating Methods - The Radiocarbon Dating Method 506
Section IX Contradictions in Geochronology - Support For Biblical Geology
Chapter 107 Supernovas and Comets 515
Supernova Remnants 515
Disintegration of Comets 516
Chapter 108 The Earth's Magnetic Field 519
Chapter 109 Sea Salt, Erosion, and Sediments 522
Salt in the Sea 522
Erosion of Continents 523
Sea Floor Sediments 524
Chapter 110 Volcanic Activity and Helium 526
Crustal Growth through Volcanic Activity 526
Helium in Rocks and in the Atmosphere 527
Chapter 111 Radiohalos, Radiocarbon and Tree Rings 530
Radiohalos 530
Radiocarbon and Tree Rings 531
Chapter 112 Human Population Statistics and Lifespans 535
Section X Problems for Biblical Geology Solved - Formations Implying Slow Deposition
Chapter 113 Deposition and Lithification 543
Chapter 114 Bioturbation, Hardgrounds, and Trace Fossils 547
Chapter 115 Chalk and Diatomite Beds, and Deep-Sea Sediments 551
Chapter 116 Coral Reefs and Limestone 555
Chapter 117 Evaporites 559
Chapter 118 Varves and Rhythmites 564
Chapter 119 Buried Forests 569
Chapter 120 Coal Beds 573
Chapter 121 Oil Deposits 576
Chapter 122 Limestone Caves and Cave Deposits 583
Chapter 123 Granite Formation, Intrusion, and Cooling 587
Magma Generation by Partial Melting 588
Melt Segregation 588
Magma Ascent 589
Magma Emplacement 590
Emplacement Rates 591
Crystallization and Cooling Rates 592
Convective Cooling: The Role of Hydrothermal Fluids 593
Crystallization and Cooling Rates: The Evidence of Polonium Radiohalos 594
Chapter 124 Regional Metamorphism 596
Chapter 125 Ore and Mineral Deposits 604
Chapter 126 Earlier Ice Ages 610
Concluding Challenges
The Adequacy of the Biblical Framework of Earth History 615
An Unfinished Task 616
Postscript 617
Selected Bibliography 621
Index 633
Color Figures 640