DRIFT AND TECTONICS

 

What are the facts about continental drift and plate tectonics? As we will learn below, both are unproven theories which are fanciful in the extreme. This is science vs. evolution—a Creation-Evolution Encyclopedia, brought to you by Creation Science Facts.

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CONTENTS: Drift and Tectonics

Continental Drift: Did the continents actually drift thousands of miles to their present locations?
Plate Tectonics: Are we supposed to believe that immense areas of rock, thousands of miles across and miles deep, are supposed to be quietly bending downward under other plates?

Related Articles

PALEOMAGNETISM: Scientific information about the wandering poles and magnetic reversals

Page numbers without book references refer to the book, LAWS OF NATURE VS. EVOLUTION, from which these facts are summarized. An asterisk ( * ) by a name indicates that person is not known to be a creationist. Of over 4,000 quotations in the set of books this Encyclopedia is based on, only 164 statements are by creationists.

CONTINENTAL DRIFT

New words are being heard in scientific circles: plate tectonics, continental drift, seafloor spreading, magnetic reversals, and transforming faults. What does that all mean? How does it relate to the creation-evolution controversy? Does any of it prove evolution? We will only skim the subject here; a more complete analysis will be found in the book LAWS OF NATURE VS. EVOLUTION

The evolutionists have a problem. Both paleomagnetic reversals and the gigantic fissures in the planet point to the immense disruptions at the time of the Flood as their source. Their solution has been to invent strange new theories in an attempt to avoid the truth.

Plate tectonics is an involved theory of shifting continents and the earth swallowing itself. Yet the evidence does not have to be interpreted in such a fantastic way.

Continental drift. Evolutionists declare that, at some earlier time in earth history, the continents were all joined together. They are said to have traveled immense distances, sideways, to reach their present locations. This theory is called "continental drift." All our present continents are said to have moved slowly into their present positions from what was just a single massive continent surrounded by ocean. That original continent has been dubbed "Pangaea," which is Greek for "all [of the] earth."—pp. 39-40.

The three evidences presented in favor of continental drift are these:

1: Continental match. The outstanding evidence is the manner in which the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa appear to match. (Other continental matches have been devised, but they take much imagination.)

Flood geology can explain continental match quite well—without having to resort to far-fetched ideas of continents moving sideways thousands of miles!

Before the Flood there were only broad rivers and shallow seas. The continents were close together and joined. A broad river ran between Africa and South America. Then, as the basins filled with water, they sank and the continental masses arose. This would be the cause of the apparent match.

Actually, many areas can be matched. Australia, for example, locks well into the U.S. East Coast!—pp. 40-41.

2: Fossil match. Some fossils in Antarctica match those found in the northern and southern continents.

Yet only a few thousand years ago, we would have found similar plants and animals on all the continents, for there were no broad oceans then, and the climate worldwide was uniformly warm.—p. 41.

3: Vegetation and mineral match. Similar vegetation has been found on the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa. It has been especially noted that there are diamond fields in South Africa and also a few in South America. This is thought to be strong evidence that the two continents were once joined.

This evidence would support the Flood, but it would not support evolution as well—for this reason: According to evolution, plants and animals have evolved and changed in the intervening millions of years. So they should not match now!—p. 41.

Major faults. There are a number of major fault lines on the planet. These fault lines are the focal point of volcanoes, earthquakes, and seismic (tidal) waves (tsunamis).

Plate tectonics teach that these cracks are caused by gigantic "plates" which are sliding beneath each other!

In contrast, Flood geology suggests that, when the continents rose and ocean basins sank, the immense stress placed on the underlying foundations produced these fault lines. (See The Effects of the Flood.)

The geologic term for this is "geostasy," or the balancing of massive areas of the earth. As one part goes down, another moves up to equalize the load. This is why there are deep "trenches" in the Pacific Ocean near corresponding island chains which have pushed up as they were produced by volcanoes.

The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs down the North and South Atlantic Ocean, is another example of such a crack. Lava issues from it. Plate tectonic enthusiasts claim that this small amount of lava has produced "seafloor spreading," that is, continual widening of the ocean floor! But the evidence does not match the claim. Lava is piled up there, but there is no evidence of sideways shoving—producing all the oceans, which fill five sixths of the earth's surface!—pp. 41-42.

PLATE TECTONICS

Plate tectonics. Another new theory is called plate tectonics. This is the thinking that the earth's surface (both on the continents and under the oceans) are "plates" which are many miles in thickness. These are imagined to be pushing sideways at each other. Where one plate rubs against another, one is gently, quietly giving way, bending almost straight down, and going under the other one!

Down below, it is gobbled up by the fiery molten rock. Elsewhere in the world, other plates are said to be coming up out of the ground at nearly right angles and instantly becoming hard, horizontal rock!

Does that sound believable? Nearly all these cracks are in the ocean. Obviously, seawater ought to be pouring down through these cracks, producing boiling water and massive volcanic action! If a plate bent down on one end, the other end would rise miles into the air, and the resultant rush of water downward would produce waves which would inundate entire continents.

It is the theory which is cracked. It could never happen! Common sense should tell the evolutionists that. Reputable scientists have declared the idea to be ridiculous. In addition, there is no direct evidence that it is happening.—p. 42.

Much, much more on continental drift, plate tectonics, seafloor spreading, core drilling, and paleomagnetic reversals will be found in the book THE LAWS OF NATURE VS EVOLUTION.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

To the next topic in this series: PALEOMAGNETISM: What is the truth about magnetic reversals? Do the poles really wander?