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

Dickens, H. 2018. North American Precambrian geology–A proposed young earth biblical model. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism , ed. J.H. Whitmore, pp. 389–403. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Creation Science Fellowship. NORTH AMERICAN PRECAMBRIAN GEOLOGY— A PROPOSED YOUNG EARTH BIBLICALMODEL Harry Dickens , Australia. ABSTRACT Precambrian geology, especially of the crystalline basement rocks, is complex. Consequently, understanding what appears to be its long and involved history is a challenge. This paper not only aims to help address this challenge, but also to interpret this history within a Young Earth biblical model. An overview of North America’s Precambrian province geology is described and a geological history model for the whole continent is developed that aims to be consistent with both mapped regional geology and the Biblical record. Correlation of Precambrian geological history with the sequence of acts chronicled in the Bible is based on interpreting key subjects such as mapped stratigraphy, the relative order of radiometric “ages”, the role of water and regional heating events. Interpretation of radiometric date clusters, and thus thermal-tectonic events, was used to infer correlation with the biblical record. It is proposed that God instigated heating events and that with the heat of each event, radiometric “ages” were systematically reset to lower values. These “ages,” or isotopic ratios, provide information on the history of crystallization and cooling of rocks. On the basis of these date clusters, the principal thermal-tectonic events in North America are as follows: 1. Kenoran (late Archean) – associated with simultaneous cooling and convective heat dissipation of earlier hotter crust within individual Archean provinces, and the beginning of stable cratons. 2. Hudsonian (late Paleoproterozoic) - associated with internal deformation and further metamorphism of Archean provinces, as well as metasomatism. 3. Grenvillian (late Mesoproterozoic) - associated with huge thickening of continental crust and high mountain building. 4. Pan-African (late Neoproterozoic) – associated with massive rifting on the Cordilleran and Appalachian margins, as well as immense continental erosion and enormous water flows. Biblical descriptions of Day One (initial global ocean and hovering over the waters), Day Two (the waters above and below), Day Three (dry land appears) and the early Noahic Flood (fountains bursting forth and rain) were respectively correlated with North America’s Archean, Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic geology (including Kenoran, Hudsonian, Grenvillian and Pan-African thermal-tectonic events) respectively. Some specific locations of pre-Flood geography were inferred in relation to today’s Precambrian areas. KEY WORDS Creation days, Flood, thermal-tectonic event, North America, Precambrian provinces, Archean, Paleoproterozoic, Mesoproterozoic, Neoproterozoic. Copyright 2018 Creation Science Fellowship, Inc., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA www.creationicc.org 389 INTRODUCTION An earlier paper (Dickens and Snelling 2008) reviewed Precambrian geology on a global scale, but did not refer to individual mapped Precambrian provinces, together with their temporal and spatial relationships. To address this, the North American continent was chosen as a case study. It is a well-studied region of the Earth and provides among the most complete geological, geophysical, and isotopic data sets of any continent (Whitmeyer and Karlstrom 2007). The geology of successive Archean to Mesoproterozoic basement provinces, as well as the overlying Neoproterozoic sedimentary cover is outlined. Due to the relative paucity of suitable fossils in Precambrian successions, and particularly their absence in crystalline basement rocks (including granite), radiometric dating is routinely used to indicate the “age” of Precambrian rocks. I consider that these “ages” are useful in a relative rather than absolute time sense. Resetting of “ages” due to heating events has global significance. Heating events are related in this paper not only to regional geology, but also to the biblical record. METHODS A search of scripture identified key verses considered to be relevant to geological history, along with their possible time sequence. This paper has a Young Earth biblical perspective of scripture: literal 24- hour six-day framework for Creation Week and the global Noahic Flood some centuries later. Dickens and Snelling 2008 provided a useful starting point for the concept and approach of this paper. Through a search of the geological literature, I became aware of various aspects of NorthAmerican regional geology and associated interpretations of geological history. A generalized geological map (Fig. 1) provides necessary basic data for the proposed geological history model as it shows major geological provinces, their principal rock types and relative ages. In this paper I use the terms