al. 2021). Downfaulting and further burial would enable the formation of significant Carboniferous and Permian coal measures. The remarkable distribution of Glossopteris leaves in Permian terrestrial deposits across the Gondwanan continents was central to early arguments that these regions were once united in a vast supercontinent which later fragmented and drifted apart (McLoughlin 2017). Permian coal measures found in grabens of the Collie Basin (Fig. 9) have been associated with fluvial sediments (Lowry 1976). However, from the well-layered nature of the coal seams enormous and widespread sheet flows are more likely to have taken place as Flood Year waters were streaming off the continent. The lack of seatearths and fossil roots (Lord 1952) also provide evidence that the coal seams were transported into place, rather than formed in an in situ disordered situation such as a swamp. Features found in swamps such as stumps, tree roots and fallen logs are not present. 5.Transport of “missing” Permian sediments Permian sediments currently found in basins such as the Perth Basin may have covered a significantly greater area than their adjacent craton. Receding waters of Noah’s Flood have been inferred to have eroded these sediments (Walker 2012). The previously mentioned evidence for significant erosion, raises the question of the eventual depositional site for these volumes of detritus (Sircombe and Freeman 1999). It is important to note that to date there is no known evidence of where the huge volume of sediment that was eroded went. I infer that the missing detritus may have flowed into fountain rift and graben sites (Fig. 19). Today’s erosional processes do not carve extensive and wide valleys into basement. Different processes must be responsible—catastrophic processes. Therefore, it is reasonable to conclude that receding floodwaters carved such wide valleys (Figs. 5 and 6) on the Yilgarn and other Gondwanan cratons. 6. Permian accelerated sea level fall Paleogeography and the distribution of marine invertebrate fossils suggests a significant global sea level fall in the Late Permian. The Late Permian marine regression and resultant erosion has been inferred in numerous locations around the world (Dong 2021). This includes China (Dong 2021), Canadian Arctica (Thorsteinsson 1974), Oman (Hauser et al. 2000), along with Norway and North America (Hallam and Wignall 1999). The end Permian has been inferred to have had the lowest sea level of the Paleozoic and even of the entire Phanerozoic (Golonka and Kiessling 2002; Hallam 1992; Haq and Schutter 2008) (Fig. 18). I correlate this global marine regression with the acceleration of the receding water stage of Noah’s Flood. Marine habitat loss, caused by the Late Permian global regression, has been invoked as a likely cause of the End Permian mass extinction of marine invertebrates (Erwin 1990; Hallam and Wignall 1999). This regressive event resulted in dramatic shrinkage of shallow seas as indicated by few complete marine sections known to range from the Middle Permian into the overlying Late Permian in most regions of the world (Chen et al. 2009; Ross and Ross 1994). At the end of the Paleozoic, the size of the landmass above sea level has been inferred to be 110–120% compared with the present-day landmass due to a worldwide regression (Valentine and Moores 1970). A model has been described of return flow of seawater into the mantle resulting in hydration of the mantle, rapid sea level drop and appearance of large landmasses. The introduction of seawater into the mantle would have drastically lowered the melting temperature and viscosity of mantle materials, both of which would have activated plate tectonic processes (Maruyama and Liou 2005). Such a scenario fits well with the proposed model of receding Noahic Flood waters leading to seafloor spreading. 7. New plant growth Noah’s ark came to rest on the mountains of Ararat (Genesis 8:4) and initially only the tops of mountains were seen there (Genesis 8:5). Noah subsequently sent out a raven, and then a dove, to see if the waters had subsided from the face of the ground (Genesis 8:7-10). The second occasion the dove brought back a freshly plucked olive leaf so Noah knew that the waters had subsided from the earth (Genesis 8:11). Thus, the restoration of terrestrial plant growth was underway including pioneer species once new land emerged subsequent to the devastation caused by the mabbul. E.Widespread drying In the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried from off the earth. And Noah removed the covering of the ark and looked, and behold, the face of the ground was dry. In the second month, on the twenty-seventh day of the month, the earth had dried out. Then God said to Noah, “Go out from the ark, you and your wife, and your sons and your sons’ wives with you” (Genesis 8:13-16 ESV). Devonian redbeds are found on the continental sides of today’s North Atlantic region and are associated with uplift and subaerial exposure due to regional mountain building (Prothero and Dott 2010). In contrast, Triassic red beds are much more extensively distributed around the world. This includes South Africa, India, Australia, Antarctica Figure 19.An image to depict the waters flowing back into Flood fountain sites as described in this paper’s model (figure after Dunkin 2022). DICKENS Flood Waters Lead to Seafloor Spreading 2023 ICC 465
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTM4ODY=