The Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism (2018)

traceable sandstone lithology (Morris 2012) (Fig. 8a). The St. Peter Sandstone is confined to the midsection of the North American continent only. That is not to say it was not extensive. There is still a correlative sandstone layer from Canada to Texas, and Montana to West Virginia (Fig. 8a). In addition, Figure 8a shows that a rather vast basal Tippecanoe limestone layer extends from Alaska to Greenland and another vast limestone layer can be correlated across much of the Appalachian Mountains region. The basal Tippecanoe sandstone is again found across North Africa and the Middle East, in similar location and extent as the Sauk sandstone (Fig. 9a). We were able to correlate this second basal sandstone layer across South America also, and like the Sauk, it was most prominent along the western edge of the continent. However, the extent of this basal sandstone in SA increased as it also spread across the parts of the Amazon Basin and further south into Paraguay and southernmost Brazil (Fig. 10a). The Kaskaskia megasequence extends from the Devonian to the top of the Mississippian System (Fig. 2). This megasequence contains the most extensive basal layer of carbonate rock, although this seems to be unique to North America (Fig. 8a). However, some basal sandstone was deposited in western Canada and along the East Coast of the USA. This basal carbonate layer is as extensive as the basal Sauk sandstone across the North American Continent. It can be correlated from Canada south to NewMexico and Texas and northeastward to Michigan and Pennsylvania. In addition, part of the basal Kaskaskia is composed of chert-rich beds. These extend across Arkansas and up to Illinois. More chert-rich rocks found in multiple columns at the base of the megasequence are found in West Texas and even Alaska (Fig. 8a). Admittedly, chert beds are not unique to the base of the Kaskaskia, but those found at the base in these locations add strength to these correlations at least regionally. The basal Kaskaskia is again, primarily a blanket sandstone bed that is spread across all of North Africa and the Middle East, following nearly the same extent as the earlier Sauk and Tippecanoe basal sandstone beds (Fig 9a). These three basal sandstones collectively allow readily verifiable correlations of stratigraphic columns across this heavily oil and gas productive region. The basal Kaskaskia sandstone bed across South America is more extensive than that exhibited by the earlier two megasequences (Fig. 10a). The basal Kaskaskia sandstone layer extended to northeastern Brazil and was more continuous across the Amazon Basin than earlier megasequences. This additional extent likely reflects a higher water level was achieved at this point across SA during the Flood. The Absaroka megasequence extends from the Pennsylvanian System to the Lower Jurassic System (Fig. 2). This megasequence marks a major shift in depositional pattern in North America (and the globe) and initiated the renewal of siliciclastic deposition across North America (Fig. 8b). The basal layer is predominantly sandstone and shale, but significant deposits of volcanic rocks also mark some locations along the West Coast and Alaska (Fig. 8b). These volcanic rocks are part of the subduction and accretion process that initiated along the Western Cordillera during the Absaroka megasequence. This megasequence also recorded the opening of the Atlantic Ocean on the East Coast, the split from Africa, and the formation of a new passive margin. The basal Absaroka megasequence in Africa also reflects a major shift in areal extent (Fig 9b). Although a similar blanket sandstone layer is again found across North Africa and the Middle East, we now see a new, vast sandstone layer has extended across much of southernAfrica as well (Fig. 9b). This represents rocks of the Karoo Supergroup. The result is a single sandstone layer, correlative from column to column at the base of the Absaroka, across most of the continent of Africa. In South America, the basal Absaroka also reflects much more coverage for this megasequence compared to all earlier megasequences (Fig 10b). The basal blanket sandstone extended down the length of Argentina and increased its coverage in Brazil. A regional basal Absaroka carbonate layer was also identified and correlated across much of Peru (Fig. 10b). The Zuni megasequence extends from the Middle Jurassic to the lowermost Paleogene System (post Cretaceous) (Fig. 2). This megasequence continued the dominance of siliciclastic deposition across western North America, with a slight shift in pattern to the northern Rocky Mountains and Canada. The Zuni deposits also buried the last of the dinosaurs. The basal Zuni layer is predominantly sandstone and shale, but shifted to extensive salt deposition in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) (the Louann salt) and the southernmost GOM (Fig. 8). Siliciclastic deposition continued to spread across the passive Atlantic margin, recording the timing of the split of Greenland and Canada. Although the Appalachian uplift seems to have prevented extensive deposition across the eastern states, there are limited Zuni deposits preserved in the Illinois and Michigan Basins and remnants near Hudson Bay. According to Clarey and Werner (2017, 2018) the Zuni megasequence not only exhibits the maximum coverage across North America, it also documents a sharp increase in volume of the total amount of sedimentary rocks. In fact, excluding the volcanic rocks, this megasequence has the maximum volume of sedimentary rocks preserved across North America (Clarey and Werner 2017, 2018). The basal Zuni also reflects changes in the level and type of coverage across Africa (Fig. 9b). We again observe that the maximum areal coverage occurred during the Zuni across the African continent and the maximum volume of sediment also (Clarey and Werner 2017, 2018). A blanket sandstone layer was deposited across the center (Niger and Nigeria) and southern sections of Africa at the onset of this megasequence. An extensive, basal Zuni carbonate blanketed North Africa, the Middle East and East Africa (Fig. 9b). In fact, carbonate deposition was nearly continuous through much of the Zuni megasequence across parts of North Africa. In South America, the basal Zuni megasequence spread a basal blanket sandstone layer across much of the continent and even offshore to the east (Fig. 10b). Offshore to the southeast a substantial amount of lava and volcanic rocks were deposited in the basal Zuni megasequence. These rocks likely reflect the split of SA from Africa that occurred during the Zuni. Clarey and Werner (2017, 2018) also found this megasequence to contain the maximum volume of sediment and the maximum coverage of the continent. Clarey and Werner ◀ A Flood origin for the geological column ▶ 2018 ICC 341