Lost Cities and Continents Submerged by the Flood |
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Many land areas on Earth were submerged after the Genesis Flood and sea level rose as a result of the large amount of additional water added to the surface and the warming climate after the following ice age, according to the creationist model. In order to cover the earth in its entirety including the highest peaks, much water would need to be added to the surface to accomplish this dramatic rise in sea level. This additional water is believed by creationists to have come from subterranean sources referred to as the "springs of the deep" and water vapor, which is believed to have initiated the heavy rainfall during the 40 days and nights of the Book of Genesis. Stories of lost continents are found in literature around the world while many do not believe these stories literally.
However, science is proving these stories true as several “lost continents” have been found in recent years. Seafloor maps show that New Zealand was once part of a much larger continent named Zealandia. Located just east of Australia, Zealandia is more than half the size of Australia at nearly 5 million square kilometers or 1.9 million square miles. Near the center of Zealandia is the New Zealand islands, which rise above the sea level while Zealandia extends to the northwest and southeast of New Zealand. New Caledonia is also a relatively large island on the Zealandia continent that rises above sea level to the north of New Zealand and northeast of Australia. Uniformitarian geologists believe that Zealandia broke away from Australia between 60 to 85 million years ago and from Antarctica 85 million to 130 million years ago as part of the super continent Gondwana. Zealandia is made up of silica-rich continental crust that defines it as a continent.(1)
Several sunken cities off the coast of India (Dwarka) and Japan (Yonaguni) have been found underwater with features that clearly are man-made, including stone structures with 90 degree angles. At Dwarka, an ancient historical and religious center located on India's west coast and Gulf of Cambay, archaeologists have found ancient structural remains and coins(2). Ancient Sanskrit literature describes Dwarka being submerged in water, however evidence of a submerged city has only recently been discovered, including stone structures with geometric shapes up to 36 meters deep, stone anchors, pottery, sections of walls, beads, and human bones (3)(4).
In 1986 an underwater terraced structure was discovered in the western Pacific Ocean near the Japanese island of Yonaguni by a Japanese diver. The site includes "stepped, stone structures" and what appears to be a large pyramid. Scientists and archaeologists began to investigate the site after the discovery and disagreement arose over whether the structures are natural formations or man-made structures. Others believe that the terraced structures are man-made carvings of natural rock formations. Professor Masaaki Kimura of the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan believes that the terraced structures are man-made and is one of the leading supporters of this idea (5). These sandstone and mudstone structures are believed to have been carved by humans, according to those who support the man-made hypothesis. Yonaguni is a Japanese island located near Taiwan and is part of the Ryukyu island chain.
Seafloor maps also show the accumulation of volcanic islands in the western Pacific Ocean that could possibly have been a large continent with lower sea level. The Sunda Shelf near Indonesia was part of a former continent that was submerged at depths averaging 100 meters.
The famous Atlantis story by Plato describes a Utopian city that was submerged by water. Ever since the story was written, people have questioned whether the city was real and its location. Many today hypothesize the location to be in the Atlantic Ocean near the Mediterranean or near Greece. Rising sea level in the Mediterranean Sea would have submerged many landmasses and islands that existed in the past. Mu and Lemuria are also names of former continents in the literature which some believe could have existed once in the past.
A submerged former continent was recently discovered in the Indian Ocean under Mauritius that contained continental rocks. A crescent-shaped continent likely formed a small continent on the Mascarene Plateau that contained the Seychelles Islands and extended down to Mauritius. Scientists have discovered rocks and minerals that indicate continental crust on the beaches of Mauritius, including zircon crystals. (6) Today, most of the continent is covered in more recent volcanic material. Seafloor maps show many places in the ocean basins that contain tall ridges and shallow water features that could have been exposed during times of lower sea level, including the ice age.
The existence of so many submerged lands and evidence of human civilization on some of these lands gives greater evidence of a significant rise in sea level in the past. Creationists believe that this rise in sea level corresponded with the emergence of the Genesis Flood 4,500 years ago and the following ice age.
References:
1 Zealandia: Earth's Hidden Continent, GSA Today Article, p. 27-35, Vol. 27, Issue 3, March/April 2017.
2 Subramanian, T.S., Significant Finds at Dwaraka, The Hindu, Feb. 23, 2007, updated Sep. 27, 2016.
3 Dwarka Mythical Indian City Found Under Water, The Mysterious India. Mar. 4, 2017.
4 Housden, Tom, Lost City Could Rewrite History. BBC News Online, Jan. 19, 2002.
5 Ryall, Julian, Japan's Ancient Underwater Pyramid Mystifies Scholars, National Geographic News. Sep. 19, 2007.
6 Dean, Signe, Found! A Lost Continent Deep Beneath the Indian Ocean. National Geographic. Feb. 8, 2017.
However, science is proving these stories true as several “lost continents” have been found in recent years. Seafloor maps show that New Zealand was once part of a much larger continent named Zealandia. Located just east of Australia, Zealandia is more than half the size of Australia at nearly 5 million square kilometers or 1.9 million square miles. Near the center of Zealandia is the New Zealand islands, which rise above the sea level while Zealandia extends to the northwest and southeast of New Zealand. New Caledonia is also a relatively large island on the Zealandia continent that rises above sea level to the north of New Zealand and northeast of Australia. Uniformitarian geologists believe that Zealandia broke away from Australia between 60 to 85 million years ago and from Antarctica 85 million to 130 million years ago as part of the super continent Gondwana. Zealandia is made up of silica-rich continental crust that defines it as a continent.(1)
Several sunken cities off the coast of India (Dwarka) and Japan (Yonaguni) have been found underwater with features that clearly are man-made, including stone structures with 90 degree angles. At Dwarka, an ancient historical and religious center located on India's west coast and Gulf of Cambay, archaeologists have found ancient structural remains and coins(2). Ancient Sanskrit literature describes Dwarka being submerged in water, however evidence of a submerged city has only recently been discovered, including stone structures with geometric shapes up to 36 meters deep, stone anchors, pottery, sections of walls, beads, and human bones (3)(4).
In 1986 an underwater terraced structure was discovered in the western Pacific Ocean near the Japanese island of Yonaguni by a Japanese diver. The site includes "stepped, stone structures" and what appears to be a large pyramid. Scientists and archaeologists began to investigate the site after the discovery and disagreement arose over whether the structures are natural formations or man-made structures. Others believe that the terraced structures are man-made carvings of natural rock formations. Professor Masaaki Kimura of the University of the Ryukyus, Okinawa, Japan believes that the terraced structures are man-made and is one of the leading supporters of this idea (5). These sandstone and mudstone structures are believed to have been carved by humans, according to those who support the man-made hypothesis. Yonaguni is a Japanese island located near Taiwan and is part of the Ryukyu island chain.
Seafloor maps also show the accumulation of volcanic islands in the western Pacific Ocean that could possibly have been a large continent with lower sea level. The Sunda Shelf near Indonesia was part of a former continent that was submerged at depths averaging 100 meters.
The famous Atlantis story by Plato describes a Utopian city that was submerged by water. Ever since the story was written, people have questioned whether the city was real and its location. Many today hypothesize the location to be in the Atlantic Ocean near the Mediterranean or near Greece. Rising sea level in the Mediterranean Sea would have submerged many landmasses and islands that existed in the past. Mu and Lemuria are also names of former continents in the literature which some believe could have existed once in the past.
A submerged former continent was recently discovered in the Indian Ocean under Mauritius that contained continental rocks. A crescent-shaped continent likely formed a small continent on the Mascarene Plateau that contained the Seychelles Islands and extended down to Mauritius. Scientists have discovered rocks and minerals that indicate continental crust on the beaches of Mauritius, including zircon crystals. (6) Today, most of the continent is covered in more recent volcanic material. Seafloor maps show many places in the ocean basins that contain tall ridges and shallow water features that could have been exposed during times of lower sea level, including the ice age.
The existence of so many submerged lands and evidence of human civilization on some of these lands gives greater evidence of a significant rise in sea level in the past. Creationists believe that this rise in sea level corresponded with the emergence of the Genesis Flood 4,500 years ago and the following ice age.
References:
1 Zealandia: Earth's Hidden Continent, GSA Today Article, p. 27-35, Vol. 27, Issue 3, March/April 2017.
2 Subramanian, T.S., Significant Finds at Dwaraka, The Hindu, Feb. 23, 2007, updated Sep. 27, 2016.
3 Dwarka Mythical Indian City Found Under Water, The Mysterious India. Mar. 4, 2017.
4 Housden, Tom, Lost City Could Rewrite History. BBC News Online, Jan. 19, 2002.
5 Ryall, Julian, Japan's Ancient Underwater Pyramid Mystifies Scholars, National Geographic News. Sep. 19, 2007.
6 Dean, Signe, Found! A Lost Continent Deep Beneath the Indian Ocean. National Geographic. Feb. 8, 2017.
