The Grand Canyon and Its Rapid Formation
by Owen Borville
The Grand Canyon of western North America and northern Arizona is the result of a major catastrophic event, in addition to being one of the most famous natural features in the world. Upon seeing such a dramatic view, the casual observer is instantly preoccupied with the specifics of the formation of this incredibly large canyon that is one of the largest in the world. The canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, and averages more than a mile (6,000) feet deep. Point Imperial is the deepest point in the canyon at 8,800 feet (2,682 meters). The Grand Canyon begins at Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River in northern Arizona near the Utah border, where visitors can cross the river and just southwest of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. The Grand Canyon ends at Grand Wash Cliffs at the western end near the Nevada border and Lake Mead. Therefore, the Grand Canyon exists along the Colorado River between Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Colorado River itself is much longer, extending 1,450 miles (2,330 km) from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the Gulf of California and many other large and beautiful canyons have been carved along the river, such as Cataract Canon and Glen Canyon. Many visitors agree that the Grand Canyon is the most awe-inspiring, unique, beautiful, and scenic canyon in the world.
Geologists and earth scientists love the Grand Canyon because so much of the Earth's past can be learned from studying this canyon. Many layers of ancient strata have been exposed by the carving of this canyon, all the way down to the basement rock of the ancient earth. Ancient fossils are preserved inside these rock layers, giving a snapshot of life on earth throughout the past. Most agree that this large canyon was likely carved by water from the Colorado River, which runs through the canyon, however scientists disagree on the details of its formation. Particularly, the rate of formation of the canyon is in question as the mainstream, old-earth scientists propose a very slow, gradual carving of the canyon over 5 to 6 million years by the flowing Colorado River. However, creationists believe that a dramatic surge of water carved the steep walls of this canyon during a very catastrophic event, likely after the Genesis Flood 4,500 years ago when many large remnant lakes existed on earth and in this region. Creationists mention the theory that one or more large ancient lakes located near the Colorado River breached the banks of the river and catastrophically dumped much water into the river channel, which in turn carved the canyon very quickly. Some creationists also mention a newer alternate theory that the receding floodwaters of the Genesis Flood directly carved the canyon and there was no lake-dam breach. This newer theory was proposed as some old-earth geologists questioned the lake-dam breach theory, while some creationists continue to stick with this more traditional lake-dam breach theory.
Grand Canyon Stratigraphy
Most creationists believe that the many stratigraphic rock layers exposed by the canyon were deposited by the receding floodwaters of the Genesis Flood. The "Great Unconformity" near the base of the canyon is a large erosional surface above which stratigraphic layers of a variety of rock types were deposited. From sandstone to shale to limestone, these layers above the great unconformity are believed by creationists to have been deposited during the year-long Genesis Flood. The perfect or near perfect boundaries (layer-cake) between each layer are mentioned by creationists as evidence of catastrophic flood deposits and not gradual deposition over millions of years. Old-earth geologists also point to the slow, gradual tectonic uplift of the Colorado Plateau to explain the erosion of the canyon 65 million years ago while creationists propose tectonic activity during the Genesis Flood event 4,500 years ago to account for the rise of the plateau. The Coconino Sandstone layer near the top of the canyon is believed by old-earth geologists to have originated from a wind-blown desert environment and not from flood deposits. However, creationists have examined the Coconino and have concluded that a marine flood-deposited sandstone is the likely origin of this layer. The Colorado River begins in Colorado and flows for 1,450 miles (2,330 km) to the southwest until it empties into the Gulf of California. The Grand Canyon itself runs for 277 miles (446 kilometers) and is up to 18 miles wide in certain sections while boasting a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet).
Does the formation of the Grand Canyon prove the young earth and the Genesis Flood? The Grand Canyon and its catastrophic formation proves that millions of years are not needed to erode such a large feature and that canyons around the world can be carved very quickly. Therefore, the quick and catastrophic formation of the Grand Canyon and other canyons around the world proves that long ages in the millions of years are not needed and a young earth timescale of 6,000 years is entirely possible and likely. The slow and gradual formation theory of canyon formation is just another method the mainstream, old-earth scientists use to discredit the Bible and promote an old earth along with the macro-evolution of biological species. Old-earth geologists also assign ages in the millions of years to each stratigraphic layer of the canyon using radioactive isotope decay techniques, however these dates are heavily disputed by creationists because of inaccuracies and false assumptions from the gradual, old-earth model. When examined from a creationist viewpoint, the evidence points toward a quick, catastrophic formation within 6,000 years and not slow, gradual formation over millions of years.
The Coconino Sand Dunes
Evolutionists and old-earth geologists believe that the fossilized sand dunes found in the Coconino sandstone at the Grand Canyon indicate a desert environment that formed over 260 million years by eolian wind-blown processes and that these processes disprove the deposition and formation from the Genesis Flood. Evolutionists also claim that footprint fossils in the sandstone were made by desert reptiles under dry conditions. However, creationists have explained that these sand dunes could have been deposited underwater during the Genesis Flood and not from dry wind-blown deposits. Upon further investigation of the actual deposits, creationists have identified that the sand dunes in the Coconino sandstone are compatible with marine sandstone and do not indicate wind-blown sand deposits. Investigators have even identified that the Coconino has poorly sorted sand grain sizes, which would contradict the expected uniform sand grain sizes of a wind-blown desert depositional environment. Many fossils of aquatic organisms have been found throughout the Coconino sandstone layer, indicating a marine environment and not a desert environment. The greater evidence of catastrophic flood deposition should be that the Coconino sandstone extends over such a large area of the Colorado Plateau region, over 519,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) and an average thickness of 96 meters (315 feet), including portions of northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. These large-scale deposits can only be the work of a catastrophic, global flood.
by Owen Borville
The Grand Canyon of western North America and northern Arizona is the result of a major catastrophic event, in addition to being one of the most famous natural features in the world. Upon seeing such a dramatic view, the casual observer is instantly preoccupied with the specifics of the formation of this incredibly large canyon that is one of the largest in the world. The canyon is 277 miles (446 km) long, up to 18 miles (29 km) wide, and averages more than a mile (6,000) feet deep. Point Imperial is the deepest point in the canyon at 8,800 feet (2,682 meters). The Grand Canyon begins at Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River in northern Arizona near the Utah border, where visitors can cross the river and just southwest of Glen Canyon Dam and Lake Powell. The Grand Canyon ends at Grand Wash Cliffs at the western end near the Nevada border and Lake Mead. Therefore, the Grand Canyon exists along the Colorado River between Lake Powell and Lake Mead. The Colorado River itself is much longer, extending 1,450 miles (2,330 km) from the Rocky Mountains of Colorado to the Gulf of California and many other large and beautiful canyons have been carved along the river, such as Cataract Canon and Glen Canyon. Many visitors agree that the Grand Canyon is the most awe-inspiring, unique, beautiful, and scenic canyon in the world.
Geologists and earth scientists love the Grand Canyon because so much of the Earth's past can be learned from studying this canyon. Many layers of ancient strata have been exposed by the carving of this canyon, all the way down to the basement rock of the ancient earth. Ancient fossils are preserved inside these rock layers, giving a snapshot of life on earth throughout the past. Most agree that this large canyon was likely carved by water from the Colorado River, which runs through the canyon, however scientists disagree on the details of its formation. Particularly, the rate of formation of the canyon is in question as the mainstream, old-earth scientists propose a very slow, gradual carving of the canyon over 5 to 6 million years by the flowing Colorado River. However, creationists believe that a dramatic surge of water carved the steep walls of this canyon during a very catastrophic event, likely after the Genesis Flood 4,500 years ago when many large remnant lakes existed on earth and in this region. Creationists mention the theory that one or more large ancient lakes located near the Colorado River breached the banks of the river and catastrophically dumped much water into the river channel, which in turn carved the canyon very quickly. Some creationists also mention a newer alternate theory that the receding floodwaters of the Genesis Flood directly carved the canyon and there was no lake-dam breach. This newer theory was proposed as some old-earth geologists questioned the lake-dam breach theory, while some creationists continue to stick with this more traditional lake-dam breach theory.
Grand Canyon Stratigraphy
Most creationists believe that the many stratigraphic rock layers exposed by the canyon were deposited by the receding floodwaters of the Genesis Flood. The "Great Unconformity" near the base of the canyon is a large erosional surface above which stratigraphic layers of a variety of rock types were deposited. From sandstone to shale to limestone, these layers above the great unconformity are believed by creationists to have been deposited during the year-long Genesis Flood. The perfect or near perfect boundaries (layer-cake) between each layer are mentioned by creationists as evidence of catastrophic flood deposits and not gradual deposition over millions of years. Old-earth geologists also point to the slow, gradual tectonic uplift of the Colorado Plateau to explain the erosion of the canyon 65 million years ago while creationists propose tectonic activity during the Genesis Flood event 4,500 years ago to account for the rise of the plateau. The Coconino Sandstone layer near the top of the canyon is believed by old-earth geologists to have originated from a wind-blown desert environment and not from flood deposits. However, creationists have examined the Coconino and have concluded that a marine flood-deposited sandstone is the likely origin of this layer. The Colorado River begins in Colorado and flows for 1,450 miles (2,330 km) to the southwest until it empties into the Gulf of California. The Grand Canyon itself runs for 277 miles (446 kilometers) and is up to 18 miles wide in certain sections while boasting a depth of over a mile (6,093 feet).
Does the formation of the Grand Canyon prove the young earth and the Genesis Flood? The Grand Canyon and its catastrophic formation proves that millions of years are not needed to erode such a large feature and that canyons around the world can be carved very quickly. Therefore, the quick and catastrophic formation of the Grand Canyon and other canyons around the world proves that long ages in the millions of years are not needed and a young earth timescale of 6,000 years is entirely possible and likely. The slow and gradual formation theory of canyon formation is just another method the mainstream, old-earth scientists use to discredit the Bible and promote an old earth along with the macro-evolution of biological species. Old-earth geologists also assign ages in the millions of years to each stratigraphic layer of the canyon using radioactive isotope decay techniques, however these dates are heavily disputed by creationists because of inaccuracies and false assumptions from the gradual, old-earth model. When examined from a creationist viewpoint, the evidence points toward a quick, catastrophic formation within 6,000 years and not slow, gradual formation over millions of years.
The Coconino Sand Dunes
Evolutionists and old-earth geologists believe that the fossilized sand dunes found in the Coconino sandstone at the Grand Canyon indicate a desert environment that formed over 260 million years by eolian wind-blown processes and that these processes disprove the deposition and formation from the Genesis Flood. Evolutionists also claim that footprint fossils in the sandstone were made by desert reptiles under dry conditions. However, creationists have explained that these sand dunes could have been deposited underwater during the Genesis Flood and not from dry wind-blown deposits. Upon further investigation of the actual deposits, creationists have identified that the sand dunes in the Coconino sandstone are compatible with marine sandstone and do not indicate wind-blown sand deposits. Investigators have even identified that the Coconino has poorly sorted sand grain sizes, which would contradict the expected uniform sand grain sizes of a wind-blown desert depositional environment. Many fossils of aquatic organisms have been found throughout the Coconino sandstone layer, indicating a marine environment and not a desert environment. The greater evidence of catastrophic flood deposition should be that the Coconino sandstone extends over such a large area of the Colorado Plateau region, over 519,000 square kilometers (200,000 square miles) and an average thickness of 96 meters (315 feet), including portions of northern Arizona, northwest Colorado, Nevada, and Utah. These large-scale deposits can only be the work of a catastrophic, global flood.
