Continental drift
From CreationWiki, the encyclopedia of creation science
The continental drift theory purports that plate tectonics are responsible for the migration of continents to their present location following the breakup of a single landmass known as Pangea. This theory was developed to explain why many continent shorelines look as if they once fitted together, as well as why similar rock formations can be found on two continents separated by vast oceans. It now draws strong support from paleomagnetic readings of the ocean flood that have revealed a striped pattern of field reversals indicating that the flood has spread outward from the mid-oceanic ridge. The movement of continental plates can also explain the existence of earthquakes and the so-called Ring of Fire around the Pacific.
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History
The belief that continents have not always been fixed in their present positions was suspected long before the 20th century; this notion was first suggested as early as 1596 by the Dutch map maker Abraham Ortelius in his work Thesaurus Geographicus. Ortelius suggested that the Americas were "torn away from Europe and Africa... by earthquakes and floods" and went on to say: "The vestiges of the rupture reveal themselves, if someone brings forward a map of the world and considers carefully the coasts of the three continents."
Analysis
However, there are problems with the way this theory is typically portrayed to the public. For example, there is no solid evidence that the plates are still moving. Also, radiometric dating of ocean bottom sediments has uncovered a major discepancy between the same Mid-Atlantic Ridge that runs between the Americas and Europe and Africa. For example, the North American and European half appears to have been taken 10 times as long to separate than the South American and African Plates. Also, it appears that global positioning systems have not confirmed that the plates are still moving apart in the manner that we thought.
Dr. Baumgardner has created a computer model for catastrophic plate tectonics, and has presented detailed papers about his model as the mechanism for the Genesis global flood. Baumgardner's model is illustrated in the 27 minute documentary titled:In the Beginning: Catastrophic Plate Tectonics and the Genesis Flood, which was produced by Keziah and may be previewed online.
Related References
Creationist References
- Is the Mid Atlantic Ridge Still Spreading?
- The San Andreas Fault --- appears to be quite Young
- Is catastrophic plate tectonics part of Earth history? by Michael Oard
- Forum on catastrophic plate tectonics
- Catastrophic plate tectonics... by John Baumgardner
- What about continental drift?
- Phases of the Hydroplate Theory: by Dr. Walter Brown
Secular References
- Developing the theory by the US Geologic Survey
See Also
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