The Formation of Geological Strata

The Grand Canyon is a destination for people who are interested in geology, whether professionals or amateurs. A passel of tourists go there as well. Purveyors of deep time claim that it is a great place for their beliefs, and biblical creationists say that it has evidence for the Genesis Flood. In fact, several creationary organizations organize tours and explain how the evidence supports the Flood. Instead of shying away, they get intense and some even go rafting.

Credit: Pixabay / Bettina Nørgaard

As creationists have said many times, everyone has the same facts. It is the interpretation of the facts that bring on the science shootouts. Those interpretations are based on worldviews. Secularists demand deep time so Darwin can perform his prestidigitation, and have a bad habit of ignoring evidence that supports the Genesis Flood.

See those layers that the woman is seeing out yonder? Those layers are all over the world, but they're not always nice and level. Some are at an angle. The standard explanation is that they were laid down gradually over millions of years (uniformitarianism). However, the explanations often fall short and only look good on paper. Layers are not always horizontal, and experiments show that they also form sideways in rapid currents! Let's take a look at a creation science point of view that utilizes the evidence.

Sedimentologist Guy Berthault was one of a team who made an important discovery regarding how the world’s sedimentary layers were deposited. These geological strata are clearly-defined beds of sedimentary rock that often have the appearance of bands or stripes of alternating or repeating layers. Most people have noticed them in cliffs, where they are often seen in side view. Grand Canyon comes to mind, where bold horizontal layering in the sides of the canyon is a major visual feature.

Geologists once thought that all such layers formed upwards. This conventional view of layer formation was one of the three principles of stratigraphy identified by creationist geological pioneer Nicolaus Steno (1638–1686). However, today the typical way this is explained is that sand, silt, and clay settled to the bottom of a placid lake or sea, and accumulated over eons of time. Eventually, a significant layer of sediment formed, which slowly hardened into rock. Then, a new layer of sediment started to deposit on top of the first, and so on.

To finish reading, click on "Geological strata: they’re everywhere".



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