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Table
of Contents

Lesson 1
Planet Earth
Lesson 2
The Ground We Stand Upon
Lesson 3
The Earth’s Surface
Lesson 4
Erosion / Deposition
Lesson 5
Sediments / Fossilization
Lesson 6
Volcanism / Deformation of rocks / Continents
Lesson 7
Metamorphism / Radioisotope Decay
Lesson 8
Ways to date the Earth
Lesson 9
Great geologic events of the past
Lesson 10
Questions people ask

The Geology Book

The Geology Book
by Dr John D Morris

Lesson 9

Great geologic events of the past

Textbook:

The Geology Book

Text:

pp. 58-68

Scripture:

Genesis 1–11
Romans 6:23

Vocabulary Words:

  • Second law of science
  • Fountains of the deep
  • Glacier

Questions:

  1. What four events have had the greatest impact in shaping earth’s geology?
  2. How did the Creation event affect the earth’s geology?
  3. Although the book states, “It may not have rained then as it does now, but a heavy dew watered the plants”, and discusses a “dense cloud of water vapor,” see the section on “canopy theory” at Arguments we think creationists should NOT use for more information.
  4. Although the book indicates that the Second Law of Thermodynamics began at the Fall, consider this:

    The Second Law of Thermodynamics says that the entropy (disorder) of the Universe increases over time, and some have thought that this was the result of the Curse. However, disorder isn’t always harmful. An obvious example is digestion, breaking down large complex food molecules into their simple building blocks. Another is friction, which turns ordered mechanical energy into disordered heat—otherwise Adam and Eve would have slipped as they walked with God in Eden! A less obvious example to laymen might be the sun heating the Earth—to a physical chemist, heat transfer from a hot object to a cold one is the classic case of the Second Law in action. Also, breathing is based on another classic Second Law process, gas moving from a high pressure to low pressure. Finally, all beneficial processes in the world, including the development from embryo to adult, increase the overall disorder of the universe, showing that the Second Law is not inherently a curse.

    Death and suffering of nephesh animals before sin are contrary to the biblical framework above, as are suffering (or “groaning in travail” (Rom. 8:20–22)). It is more likely that God withdrew some of His sustaining power (Col. 1:15–17) at the Fall so that the decay effect of the Second Law was no longer countered.

  5. What role has the Fall played in shaping today’s Earth? (See also Q&A: Death and Suffering)
  6. What was the cause of the global Flood? What were the geological results of the Flood?
  7. Why do we find ocean fossils near the top of Mt. Everest?
  8. What caused the Ice Age? (See also Q&A: IceAge)
  9. On a map, outline the extent of the ice covering at the peak of the Ice Age.
  10. What happened to the mammoths? (See Q&A: Mammoth)

Additional resources:

Answers:

  1. Creation, the Fall, Flood, Ice Age
  2. Formed the cores of the continents, some erosion and deposition probably happened
  3. (no answer required)
  4. (no answer required)
  5. Because God withdrew some of His sustaining power at the time of the Fall, this has allowed for various “natural” disasters to happen which affect the geology—earthquakes, floods, etc. Everything is wearing down and deteriorating.
  6. God sent the Flood as a judgment on the wickedness of mankind. The Flood formed many of the rock and fossil layers. See pages 63-66 for more details.
  7. The top of Mount Everest was once underwater and was later pushed up after the Flood waters receeded.
  8. The warm oceans waters rapidly evaporated and condensed over the colder continents, causing a buildup of ice and snow. See page 67 for more detailed information.
  9. (no answer required)
  10. Many of the mammoths were probably killed when wind-blown sediments covered them at the end of the Ice Age.