HISTORY OF GEOLOGY
Catastrophism & Uniformitarianism
CONTENTS
EARLY GEOLOGISTS BELIEVED IN NOAH’S FLOOD
EARLY PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY STILL USED
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN MAINSTREAM GEOLOGY
THE GEOLOGICAL COLUMN OF STRATA DATING
HISTORY OF GEOLOGICAL CATASTROPHISM
AI answered questions.
EARLY GEOLOGISTS BELIEVED IN NOAH’S FLOOD
Geologists who believed in Noah's Flood developed several theories to explain geological features in light of the biblical account:
Flood Deposition: They proposed that sedimentary rock layers across continents were deposited by turbulent waters during the Genesis flood3. This theory suggested that marine fossils found in high-elevation strata were evidence of floodwaters covering the continents. {In reality, the mountains were pushed up during the Flood and during rapid Continental Drift.}
Catastrophic Erosion: Some flood geologists believed that the flood waters carved out major geological features, such as canyons and valleys, in a short period3.
Post-Flood Continental Uplift: Some theorized that during the late stages of the flood, continents were lifted up as water drained into deepening ocean basins3.✔️
Rapid Formation: Flood geologists argued that geological features typically associated with long-term processes could have formed rapidly during the flood year3.✔️
Global vs. Regional Flood: While many flood geologists advocated for a global flood✔️, some proposed regional flood theories. For example, one hypothesis suggested that the biblical flood story was inspired by a catastrophic flooding of the Black Sea basin around 5500 BCE1,4.✔️
Evaporite Deposits: Some flood geologists attempted to explain the presence of evaporite deposits within sedimentary layers as a result of the flood, though this presented challenges to their model2. {Many evaporites were likely magmatic.}
These theories were developed to reconcile geological observations with a literal interpretation of the biblical flood account. However, they faced significant scientific challenges and are not accepted by mainstream geology. {Biblical and uniformitarian assumptions are both wrong IMO, but Biblical dating is closer to correct.}
EARLY PRINCIPLES OF GEOLOGY STILL USED
Nicolaus Steno, a Danish scientist of the 17th century, developed several fundamental principles that laid the groundwork for modern geology and stratigraphy. His theories, known as Steno's Principles, include:
Principle of Superposition: In undisturbed rock sequences, the oldest layers are at the bottom and the youngest at the top1,4. {Usually}
Principle of Original Horizontality: Sedimentary layers are deposited horizontally and any tilting or folding occurs after deposition1,4. {Usually}
Principle of Lateral Continuity: Sedimentary layers extend laterally until they thin out or meet an obstacle4,5.✔️
Principle of Cross-Cutting Relationships: Any feature that cuts across strata must have formed after those strata4.✔️
Steno also proposed that fossils were once living organisms and that rock strata form when particles in fluids like water settle to the bottom1. He recognized that organic solids grow by internal addition of material, while inorganic substances like crystals grow by external addition2.✔️
Yes, Nicolaus Steno believed in Noah's Flood. As a 17th-century natural philosopher, Steno incorporated the biblical flood into his geological theories1,2. He developed a six-phase history of the Earth, in which he included two major flooding events.✔️ The second of these flooding phases was likely intended to represent Noah's Flood, though he didn't explicitly state this2,3. Steno used his geological observations to support the biblical account. He believed that the Earth's history involved six stages, one of which was Noah's Flood1. He attempted to reconcile his scientific observations with Scripture, suggesting that caverns inside the Earth filled with fluid could have been the source of water for the Flood2.❌ Steno also recognized that the mountains existing today are not the same as those that existed before the Flood, indicating his belief in significant geological changes caused by the biblical deluge2. His work laid the foundation for modern geology while still maintaining a belief in the biblical flood narrative, demonstrating the complex relationship between early scientific thought and religious beliefs in the 17th century. {There were likely no mountains before Noah’s Flood.}
MAJOR DEVELOPMENTS IN MAINSTREAM GEOLOGY
The history of geology dates back to ancient times, with early observations made by philosophers like Aristotle in the 4th century BC. He recognized that fossils were once living organisms and speculated on changes in land and sea positions over time1,3. However, geology as a structured scientific discipline emerged in the late 1700s to early 1800s1. Key milestones in the development of geology include:
1669: Nicolas Steno proposed theories on sedimentary rock formation2.✔️
1785: James Hutton presented his "Theory of the Earth," introducing the concept of deep geological time2.❌
1788: Hutton visited Siccar Point, observing rock formations that suggested Earth's great age5.❌
1830-1833: Charles Lyell published "Principles of Geology," describing many basic geological principles1.
1912: Alfred Wegener proposed the theory of continental drift2.✔️
Regarding Noah's Flood and its influence on geological thinking: In the 17th century, many Christian scholars believed that the biblical Deluge (Noah's Flood) had formed the world's geology and geography4. This belief was widespread and used to explain geological features and fossils. However, by the mid-18th century, it became more acceptable to question the age of the Earth from a scientific perspective without religious preconceptions4.
DATING METHODS DEVELOPMENT
See https://zzzzzzz.substack.com/i/112647550/correcting-some-mainstream-errors.
Geologists developed dating methods gradually over time, with significant advancements occurring in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Key developments in dating methods include:
Late 17th century: Nicolaus Steno proposed principles of stratigraphy, laying the groundwork for relative dating methods4.
Mid-20th century: Seriation techniques became common for relative dating of artifacts3.
1940s-1950s: Radiocarbon dating was developed, revolutionizing absolute dating for materials up to about 60,000 years old1,2.
Mid-20th century onwards: Various radiometric dating methods were developed, including:
Late 20th century: Luminescence dating techniques were developed for dating sediments up to 100,000 years old1.❌
These dating methods have significantly enhanced geologists' ability to determine the age of rocks, fossils, and archaeological artifacts, providing a more accurate understanding of Earth's history and the timing of geological events5.❌{False}
HOW EARTH’S AGE WAS ESTIMATED
Geologists began to widely accept that Earth is billions of years old in the late 19th to early 20th century, based on several key developments:
In the late 18th century, James Hutton proposed the theory of uniformitarianism, suggesting that geological processes occur gradually over long periods.❌
In the early 19th century, Charles Lyell further developed uniformitarianism in his influential work "Principles of Geology" (1830-1833).❌
The discovery of radioactivity in the late 19th century led to the development of radiometric dating methods in the early 20th century, providing quantitative evidence for Earth's great age.❌
THE GEOLOGICAL COLUMN OF STRATA DATING
The concept of the geological column evolved gradually:
It was initially developed by catastrophist creationists before 1860, not by evolutionists5.
Early geologists like Adam Sedgwick and Roderick Murchison established the basic framework of the geological column based on rock strata and fossil assemblages5.
The column was primarily constructed using the principle of superposition and fossil succession, not evolutionary theory1,5.
Local and regional columns were first developed, then integrated into larger-scale columns, and finally extrapolated to a global scale4.
The geological periods and eras were later added to the existing system nomenclature, transforming it into a geologic time scale5.
It's important to note that the geological column is not a perfect vertical sequence everywhere on Earth. It's a theoretical construct based on correlations of rock strata and fossils from various locations3,5.
THE GEOLOGIC COLUMN
GEOLOGICAL PERIODS & ROCK CONTENTS:
Quaternary (2.6-present): Glacial deposits, alluvium, coastal sediments
Neogene (23-2.6): Sandstone, mudstone, and limestone
Paleogene (66-23): Sandstone, mudstone, and limestone
Cretaceous (145-66): Chalk, limestone, sandstone, mudstone
Jurassic (201-145): Limestone, mudstone, sandstone
Triassic (252-201): Sandstone, mudstone, salt deposits
Permian (299-252): Sandstone, limestone, salt deposits
Carboniferous (359-299): Limestone, sandstone, mudstone, coal
Devonian (419-359): Sandstone, limestone, mudstone
Silurian (444-419): Limestone, sandstone, mudstone
Ordovician (485-444): Limestone, sandstone, mudstone, volcanic rocks
Cambrian (541-485): Sandstone, limestone, mudstone
Pre-Cambrian time (4600-541): Igneous, metamorphic & some sedimentary rocks
CONTINENTAL BASINS. {The world's continental basins have the most complete geological columns. These are some of the main continental basins, likely formed by meteor impacts and filled in during the Great Flood}.
Manhai-Subei Basin - China
Qingxi Basin - China
Tung t'in-Yuan Shui Basin - China
Tarim Basin - China
Szechwan Basin - China
Bonaparte Basin - Australia
Yeniseiy-Khatanga Basin - Russia
Farah Basin - Afghanistan
Helmand Basin - Afghanistan
Yazd-Kerman-Tabas Basin - Iran
Adana Basin - Turkey
Iskenderun Basin - Turkey
Oman Interior Basin - Oman
Western Desert Basin - Egypt
Ghadames Basin - Libya
Tunisian Basin - Tunisia
Beni Mellal Basin - Morocco
Baltic Basin - Near Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Carpathian Basin - Poland
Moesian Platform - Bulgaria
Beaufort Sea Basin/McKenzie River Delta - Canada/USA
Yukon-Porcupine Province - Alaska, USA
Williston Basin - North Dakota, USA
Tampico Embayment - Mexico
Bogota Basin - Colombia
HISTORY OF GEOLOGICAL CATASTROPHISM
Geological catastrophism is a theory that explains Earth's geological features as the result of sudden, violent events rather than gradual processes. The history of this concept can be traced through several key periods:
Origins and Early Development
Catastrophism was initially proposed by French zoologist Georges Cuvier in 18101,2. Cuvier's observations of the fossil record in the Paris Basin revealed gaps where evidence of life disappeared and then reappeared, leading him to conclude that Earth's history was punctuated by catastrophic events causing mass extinctions3.
19th Century Popularity
In the early 19th century, catastrophism gained popularity among geologists and was closely associated with Biblical explanations for geological features1. Some key aspects of this period include:
Catastrophists often interpreted geological features through the lens of Biblical events, such as Noah's flood1,4.
Abraham Werner, a leading 18th-century geologist, supported catastrophism as evidence for his theory of neptunism3.
The theory proposed that each geological epoch ended with violent natural catastrophes, such as major floods and rapid mountain formation4.
Decline and the Rise of Uniformitarianism
Catastrophism faced challenges in the mid-19th century:
James Hutton introduced the concept of uniformitarianism in the late 18th century4.
Charles Lyell further developed uniformitarian ideas in his influential work "Principles of Geology" in the 1830s4.
From around 1850 to 1980, most geologists endorsed uniformitarianism and gradualism, rejecting catastrophic explanations for Earth's features4.
Modern Revival
Catastrophism has experienced a revival in recent decades:
In 1923, J Harlen Bretz proposed a catastrophic flood theory for the formation of the channeled scablands in Washington State, initially facing strong resistance from the geological community1,4.
The discovery of large meteorite impact structures and evidence of mass extinctions in the fossil record has led to a resurgence of catastrophist thinking1.
The most notable example is the asteroid impact at the Cretaceous-Tertiary boundary, approximately 65 million years ago, which coincides with the extinction of dinosaurs1. {This actually likely occurred during Noah’s Flood c. 3,200 BC.}
Current Status {ignores my Electric Universe Catastrophism}
Today, most geologists combine catastrophist and uniformitarian viewpoints:
Earth's history is seen as a gradual process punctuated by occasional natural catastrophic events4.
Catastrophic events like meteorite impacts, major floods, and storms are now accepted as part of geological history5.
However, debate continues about the extent and frequency of catastrophic events in Earth's past5.
This modern approach recognizes that both gradual processes and sudden, catastrophic events have played roles in shaping Earth's geological features.
Good summary. Thank you.