Limestone and dolomite layers are too extensive for normal deposition (Talk.Origins)

Claim CD203:


 * The occurrence of limestone deposits that are so great and so uniform defies explanation except by massive precipitation from chemical-rich waters, consistent with catastrophism, not uniformitarianism. Dolomite sediments are not being formed at all today; they also require an exceptional explanation.

Source: Morris, Henry M., 1974. Scientific Creationism, Green Forest, AR: Master Books, p. 104.

CreationWiki response:

This conclusion is based on a misunderstanding of the Genesis Flood. Among other things Talk.Origins seems to be ignoring the affects of Hydrological sorting.

While Talk.Origins does describe the uniformitarian model of limestone formation, they fail to explain how this processes produces such large formations. However, large formations are predicted by Flood geology.

This is expected in Flood geology, particularly if the limestone was laid down as normal particulate sediment rather than being devolved in the water. Hydrological sorting explains how limestones would be interleaved between sandstone and other rocks.
 * Doolan, R., Mackay, J., Snelling, A. and Hallby, A., 1987. Limestone caves Creation 9(4):10–13.

The fossils found in limestone are all jumbled up, as would be expected from their being deposited during a Global flood, so the above Talk.Origins statement seems to have no basis in fact.


 * Limestone
 * Limestone

All this shows is that, since Morris wrote the cited book, uniformitarian geologists have invented a theory of how dolomites are formed.

Actually, both Creation and Flood geology explain the origin of dolomite.
 * 1) Creation: And God said let there be dolomite and there was dolomite.
 * 2) Flood geology: Dolomite is basically calcite with magnesium, the inclusion of the magnesium could have occurred during and/or after the Flood.

This assumes that it all precipitated out of solution, but if the limestone was laid down as normal particulate sediment rather than being devolved in the water, this amount of heat would not have been produced.