The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #142452   Message #3310061
Posted By: Penny S.
17-Feb-12 - 10:53 AM
Thread Name: BS: Young Earth Creationism Eureka!
Subject: RE: BS: Young Earth Creationism Eureka!
One of the reasons plate tectonics was initially not accepted was because no-one could work out a mechanism for the movement. To postulate catastrophic tectonism, a catastrophic mechanism would be needed, and none has been shown to exist. Nor has any such event left traces of itself. There is evidence of many phases of continental movement, lifting up successive ranges of mountains which havde then been eroded down, leaving traces of their granite cores in such places as Cornwall. But no evidence for a complete resurfacing. (Interestingly, there is evidence for something like that on Venus.)

We have evidence for major impacts, not just Chixulub - there was one at the Permian extinction as well as all that basalt (another ongoing bona fide argument there), but none of them has had the energy to completely remodel the Earth.

It is believed that there could have been a much greater impact creating the Moon, but that, though big enough for remodelling, would also have been big enough to destroy the whole surface. No evidence in the structure of the Earth has been found for this, though there is possibly some in lunar rocks and structure. (Another ongoing discussion about rival hypotheses there.)

It would take somthing of that size to completely resurface the Earth. Life would not survive. Not even bacteria would be likely to persist.

Penny