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| Video Introduction
| This module's video, The Age of the Earth: A Geologic Perspective by Dr. John Morris, presents the underlying assumptions for radiometric dating. It examines the problems with those assumptions, as well as other problems with radiometric dating.
Dr. Morris also discusses some of the indicators that the Earth is too young for evolution to have occurred. |
Video Outline
| | I. | Introduction | | A. | Evolutionary chronological framework of Earth history
| | | B. | Creation chronological framework of Earth history
| | | C. | Interpreting data—depends on presuppositions. The study of origins is outside the limits of empirical science
| | | | II. | Dating rocks | | A. | Radiometric dating—find a process with a known rate (potato parable) involves assumptions which must be accepted: | | 1. | Assumption 1: Constant decay rate through history
| | | 2. | Assumption 2: The system is closed to the environment (nothing has happened in the process to add to or to take away from the amount of each isotope)
| | | 3. | Assumption 3: Known concentrations at the start
| | | 4. | Assumption 4: The earth is old
| | | 5.
| Assumption 5: Creation is not a possible option
| | | | B. | Problems with the assumptions | | 1. | The process is not totally isolated from the environment | | a. | Uranium can be converted by water percolation
| | | b. | Leaching and biological activities can add and remove isotopes
| | | | 2. | Assumed concentrations have been demonstrated to be wrong—Some igneous rocks from recent volcanoes have both radioisotope samples and give wrong age
| | | | C. | Other problems with radiometric dating | | 1. | In the Grand Canyon, igneous rocks from top layer (volcano reported by Indians) dated older than igneous rocks from the bottom
| | | 2. | Different dating procedures (U/Pb vs. Rb/Sr) result in drastically different ages
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| | | III. | Indicators that the Earth is too young for evolution to have occurred | | A. Helium in the atmosphere
B. Salt in the oceans
C. Geologic evidences for a young Earth—deformation styles | | 1. Predictions of young earth model | | a. | Sedimentary rocks were laid down during the flood as mud; deformation soon after deposition
| | | b. | Sediments soft when deformed | 2. Predictions of old Earth model | | a. Deformation occurred long after deposition
b. Sediments were brittle when deformed | 3. Geologic evidences (examples) | | a. | Grand Canyon monocline—plateau raised 5,000 feet; rocks bent like taffy
| | | b. | Rockwall, Texas—clastic dikes (redeposited eroded remnants); the dikes were squeezed up through overlying rocks
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Rocks do not give us the age of the earth. The only source for the age of the Earth is the Bible. Geology is perfectly compatible with the Biblical age of the earth. |
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