Earth's Magnetic Field and creation
A measurable magnetic field that is generated inside the center of the Earth's core layer and has been declining in strength since the creation according to the creationist model. The Earth’s core is believed to be solid iron despite having temperatures as hot as the sun's surface because of intense pressure. In 1936, Inge Lehmann discovered the solid inner core by studying seismographs from earthquakes in New Zealand. The study of seismic waves (s-waves) and computer models show that the earth’s inner core is solid and outer core is liquid. The liquid outer core helps create the earth’s magnetic field while the inner core is believed to be mostly crystallized iron due to high pressure. A study by the KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden helped confirm the solid state of the inner core by announcing their work in February of 2017.
Creationists believe that the Earth has a rapidly decaying magnetic field which implies that the age of the earth cannot be millions and billions of years old. Estimates based on the current rate of decay show that the planet’s magnetic field cannot be older than 20,000 years old. The Earth’s magnetic field surrounds the outer surface of the Earth and is believed to be generated deep down inside the earth’s outer core. The Earth's magnetic field is only 11.5 degrees off from the geographic north and south poles and causes a compass to point northward. As the earth spins on its axis, Coriolis forces cause the flow of liquid iron in the earth’s core which generates electric currents that in turn produce the magnetic field (1). The earth’s magnetic field protects the earth from harmful solar radiation and is essential to protect life on earth.
In the 1970’s creationist physicist Dr. Thomas Barnes explained that measurements since 1835 have shown that the earth’s magnetic field is decaying at five percent per century. Based on this data, creationists question if the Earth’s magnetic field could have existed for more than a few thousand years and certainly not for billions of years. Evolutionists use the dynamo model to explain the old age of the magnetic field, where an electric current produced inside the earth sustains the magnetic field over the old-earth scale 4.5 billion year age of the earth. However, there are problems with the dynamo model, particularly with the specifics of how the electric current is generated and sustained for billions of years. Another study examining magnetization of the iron oxides in ancient masonry items showed that the magnetic field of the earth was 40 percent stronger in 1000 A.D. than today. (2) Other creationists have explained that the other planets in the solar system have strong magnetic fields, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The existence of strong magnetic fields in these planets also gives evidence of a young universe as a time frame in the billions of years would not allow these magnetic fields to survive.
While evolutionists support the dynamo theory for the formation of the Earth's magnetic field, creationists promote the rapid-decay theory, which is based on the creationist model and a freely-decaying electric current in the Earth's outer core causing the magnetic field to lose energy. While the dynamo model failed to predict the magnetic fields of the planets in the solar system, the rapid-decay theory correctly predicted the magnetic fields for all of the planets in the solar system. The rapid-decay theory predicts that all magnetic fields decay over time and even predicts former magnetic fields that have disappeared, such as on Mars. The rapid-decay theory requires that the solar system be no older than 10,000 years old and therefore gives strong evidence for the young earth. In addition, creationists explain that if the Earth's magnetic field was billions of years old, it would have been too strong in the past to support life and that the magnetic field cannot be older than 10,000 years based on current decay rates of the magnetic field. Measurements have shown for almost two centuries that the Earth's magnetic field is losing strength and this data gives evidence that the Earth's magnetic field cannot be millions or billions of years old but rather must be less than 10,000 years old.
(1) What causes the earth’s magnetic field? <physics.org> Accessed 12-14-17.
(2) Merrill, R.T. and M.W. McElhinney. The Earth’s Magnetic Field, p. 101-106.
Creationists believe that the Earth has a rapidly decaying magnetic field which implies that the age of the earth cannot be millions and billions of years old. Estimates based on the current rate of decay show that the planet’s magnetic field cannot be older than 20,000 years old. The Earth’s magnetic field surrounds the outer surface of the Earth and is believed to be generated deep down inside the earth’s outer core. The Earth's magnetic field is only 11.5 degrees off from the geographic north and south poles and causes a compass to point northward. As the earth spins on its axis, Coriolis forces cause the flow of liquid iron in the earth’s core which generates electric currents that in turn produce the magnetic field (1). The earth’s magnetic field protects the earth from harmful solar radiation and is essential to protect life on earth.
In the 1970’s creationist physicist Dr. Thomas Barnes explained that measurements since 1835 have shown that the earth’s magnetic field is decaying at five percent per century. Based on this data, creationists question if the Earth’s magnetic field could have existed for more than a few thousand years and certainly not for billions of years. Evolutionists use the dynamo model to explain the old age of the magnetic field, where an electric current produced inside the earth sustains the magnetic field over the old-earth scale 4.5 billion year age of the earth. However, there are problems with the dynamo model, particularly with the specifics of how the electric current is generated and sustained for billions of years. Another study examining magnetization of the iron oxides in ancient masonry items showed that the magnetic field of the earth was 40 percent stronger in 1000 A.D. than today. (2) Other creationists have explained that the other planets in the solar system have strong magnetic fields, including Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. The existence of strong magnetic fields in these planets also gives evidence of a young universe as a time frame in the billions of years would not allow these magnetic fields to survive.
While evolutionists support the dynamo theory for the formation of the Earth's magnetic field, creationists promote the rapid-decay theory, which is based on the creationist model and a freely-decaying electric current in the Earth's outer core causing the magnetic field to lose energy. While the dynamo model failed to predict the magnetic fields of the planets in the solar system, the rapid-decay theory correctly predicted the magnetic fields for all of the planets in the solar system. The rapid-decay theory predicts that all magnetic fields decay over time and even predicts former magnetic fields that have disappeared, such as on Mars. The rapid-decay theory requires that the solar system be no older than 10,000 years old and therefore gives strong evidence for the young earth. In addition, creationists explain that if the Earth's magnetic field was billions of years old, it would have been too strong in the past to support life and that the magnetic field cannot be older than 10,000 years based on current decay rates of the magnetic field. Measurements have shown for almost two centuries that the Earth's magnetic field is losing strength and this data gives evidence that the Earth's magnetic field cannot be millions or billions of years old but rather must be less than 10,000 years old.
(1) What causes the earth’s magnetic field? <physics.org> Accessed 12-14-17.
(2) Merrill, R.T. and M.W. McElhinney. The Earth’s Magnetic Field, p. 101-106.
