Phenomenon throws twist into age of Earth

[Graybeard]

Two South African research scientists have documented a phenomenon that indicates a particular type of soil erosion might have taken place in a split second rather than eons, as mainstream scientists have believed.

The conclusion could upset widely accepted estimates for the age of the Earth.


...............


The report said the research indicates that the assumption that mountains are affected only by cold, wind and water “is completely wrong.”

“African mountain landscapes sometimes evolve very quickly and very dramatically over short periods of time,” Knight said.

Brian Thomas, the science writer for the Institute for Creation Research, said the new research findings make “earth’s old age assignment even less credible.




.................

The finding that lightning can accomplish in a millisecond what previously was thought to take generations calls into question “old age assignments for earth’s land features,” Thomas wrote.


...........

“How might this finding affect overall erosion rates estimated for entire continents? Geologists have studied erosion rates worldwide for decades. A 2011 meta study collated hundreds of data points, finding that land erodes on average at 40 feet every million years. At this rate, all continents reduce to sea level in only 50 million years – far too fast to accommodate the billion-year age assignments of so many exposed earth rocks,” he explained.


................

“Lightning-generated cracks may not be a well-known erosional process, but earth scientists are generally more familiar with fulgarites – long, branched tubes of quickly melted and re-solidified materials created when lightning strikes sand and other ground debris. Yet, Earth’s surface does not display billions or even millions of years’ worth of fulgarites.”

He said a prominent physicist noted through the “alleged 4.6 billion years of earth history, ” there should be hundreds of such marks per square meter of land.

“Where are all the missing fulgarites? Why are continents and high mountains still standing despite dramatic lightning damage and relatively fast erosion rates. The answers to these questions are the same – the world is only thousands, not billions, of years old.”


..............

“The average thickness of continental crust above sea level can be estimated at about 634 meters, or 2,044 feet. To erode 2,000 feet of crust at 40 feet per 1 million years would require only 50 million years. So, if the earth is billions of years old, why is its surface not complete flat?”

............


link

 

[Isa615]

-chuckles to himself-

-chuckle erupts into roaring laughter-

 

[Drett]

There are a few ways to measure the age of the Earth and the universe. Rate of change in radio active elements. Annual layers in glaciers. Erosion is another.

I think you have an uphill battle on your hands to prove the Earth to be a few thousand years old.

Age of the Earth

This Christian site seems to suggest their is a bad translation in the begets and the translation of days. This is what the web site states.

Other than incomplete genealogies, there are other measures of the age of humanity found in the Bible. First, the Bible says that the Lord made a covenant and commanded his law to 1,000 generations:

• Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, (1 Chronicles 16:15)
• He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, (Psalm 105:8)
• but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:6)
• but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10)
• Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Unless those generations are only 6 years long, these verses indicate that humanity has been around much longer than 6,000 years. In most instances, a biblical generation is ~40 years long,[SUP]14[/SUP] meaning that human beings have been around for at least 40,000 years.

How Old is the Earth According to the Bible and Science?

 

[TheAristocat]

To erode 2,000 feet of crust at 40 feet per 1 million years would require only 50 million years. So, if the earth is billions of years old, why is its surface not complete flat?”

Because of constant geological activity pushing the crust upward?

The finding that lightning can accomplish in a millisecond what previously was thought to take generations calls into question “old age assignments for earth’s land features,” Thomas wrote.

How? This is never explained in your post about the article.

He said a prominent physicist noted through the “alleged 4.6 billion years of earth history, ” there should be hundreds of such marks per square meter of land.

I'm not a big believer in Uniformitarianism, especially when it attempts to explain the age of the Earth in a factual manner. Although this is interesting, I'm as suspicious of it as I am of the aforementioned geological philosophy. Nevertheless, very interesting. I'll check it out.

 

[TheAristocat]

There are a few ways to measure the age of the Earth and the universe. Rate of change in radio active elements. Annual layers in glaciers. Erosion is another.

I think you have an uphill battle on your hands to prove the Earth to be a few thousand years old.

Age of the Earth

This Christian site seems to suggest their is a bad translation in the begets and the translation of days. This is what the web site states.

Other than incomplete genealogies, there are other measures of the age of humanity found in the Bible. First, the Bible says that the Lord made a covenant and commanded his law to 1,000 generations:

• Remember His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, (1 Chronicles 16:15)
• He has remembered His covenant forever, The word which He commanded to a thousand generations, (Psalm 105:8)
• but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Exodus 20:6)
• but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Deuteronomy 5:10)
• Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands. (Deuteronomy 7:9)

Unless those generations are only 6 years long, these verses indicate that humanity has been around much longer than 6,000 years. In most instances, a biblical generation is ~40 years long,[SUP]14[/SUP] meaning that human beings have been around for at least 40,000 years.

How Old is the Earth According to the Bible and Science?

A thousand generations may not have the precise implication of a thousand literal generations. It may be a figure of speech. If you read Beowulf you'll see the number 30 is used often as a figure of speech. Sometimes people use "a dozen" as a figure of speech to indicate a relatively large quantity such as 10-16. In the Bible the number 40 is popularly used, but may likewise be a figure of speech similar to "a dozen" or "30." At least I believe so. But I'm undecided on the age of the Earth.

 

[Graybeard]

How? This is never explained in your post about the article.

maybe try reading the full article via link provided?

 

[TheAristocat]

maybe try reading the full article via link provided?

No offense was intended toward you, Graybeard. It is an interesting read, and I see that the author was referring to lightning speeding up the process of erosion. But the feedback on the article I've seen in its different versions ranges anywhere from one scientist (self-proclaimed) listing reasons as to why it's hogwash all the way to a man who was quoted in the article claiming that he was misquoted twice in the article.

I'm not a geologist, but I get the impression this doesn't bode well for its credibility. I would like to find the "original" article as another comment put it. It's been claimed that the article linked to here is a bunch of half truths. And whether or not that is true, I feel there is more to the science than is given us through this third party, especially when there are versions of this article of varying lengths already in circulation.

I'm thinking your best bet is that this article is only telling half the story, because reporters aren't geologists either. Or else the article has been chopped up one too many times and fails to do the original science justice.

 

[TheAristocat]

A link to the original source: Lightning as a geomorphic agent on mountain summits: Evidence from southern Africa

 

[tripsin]

The Institute for Creation Research comes up with as many 'facts' to prove their point as do evolutionists to prove theirs.

Hasn't ICR claimed a young earth and dinosaurs on Noah's Ark? I don't think so.

The answer(s) are right in God's word if one looks closely.

 

[dcontroversal]

Two South African research scientists have documented a phenomenon that indicates a particular type of soil erosion might have taken place in a split second rather than eons, as mainstream scientists have believed.

The conclusion could upset widely accepted estimates for the age of the Earth.


...............


The report said the research indicates that the assumption that mountains are affected only by cold, wind and water “is completely wrong.”

“African mountain landscapes sometimes evolve very quickly and very dramatically over short periods of time,” Knight said.

Brian Thomas, the science writer for the Institute for Creation Research, said the new research findings make “earth’s old age assignment even less credible.




.................

The finding that lightning can accomplish in a millisecond what previously was thought to take generations calls into question “old age assignments for earth’s land features,” Thomas wrote.


...........

“How might this finding affect overall erosion rates estimated for entire continents? Geologists have studied erosion rates worldwide for decades. A 2011 meta study collated hundreds of data points, finding that land erodes on average at 40 feet every million years. At this rate, all continents reduce to sea level in only 50 million years – far too fast to accommodate the billion-year age assignments of so many exposed earth rocks,” he explained.


................

“Lightning-generated cracks may not be a well-known erosional process, but earth scientists are generally more familiar with fulgarites – long, branched tubes of quickly melted and re-solidified materials created when lightning strikes sand and other ground debris. Yet, Earth’s surface does not display billions or even millions of years’ worth of fulgarites.”

He said a prominent physicist noted through the “alleged 4.6 billion years of earth history, ” there should be hundreds of such marks per square meter of land.

“Where are all the missing fulgarites? Why are continents and high mountains still standing despite dramatic lightning damage and relatively fast erosion rates. The answers to these questions are the same – the world is only thousands, not billions, of years old.”


..............

“The average thickness of continental crust above sea level can be estimated at about 634 meters, or 2,044 feet. To erode 2,000 feet of crust at 40 feet per 1 million years would require only 50 million years. So, if the earth is billions of years old, why is its surface not complete flat?”

............


link

Well God has made foolish the wisdom of this world so I have never really trusted into what they have said about the age of the earth.