Moon's Recent Volcanism and Recent Tectonic Activity Points Toward Youth
by Owen Borville
March 1, 2019
Astronomy
The proposed long age of the moon by evolutionists leads most scientists to believe that volcanic activity has long cooled off on the moon within supposedly more than four and a half billion years of existence and that the moon is geologically inactive. However, creationists have noted evidence of recent volcanic activity on the moon observed by telescope, including temporary bright spots and glows covering a relatively small area. Known as transient lunar phenomena, these events happen quickly within a few hours and can occur at any time, according to those who have observed them. Creationists explain that the observance of volcanic activity on the moon is evidence of its youth, specially created within the 6,000 year time frame and not from a random collision four and a half billion years ago as the evolutionists believe. (1) Specifically, the Book of Genesis describes the creation of the moon on Day 4 of Creation Week. Volcanism on the moon is believed by evolutionists to have ended three billion years ago, but the observance of recent activity questions the old-earth model. With the smaller size of the moon a quarter to that of Earth and much smaller mass, the volcanic activity on the moon should have ceased long ago. (2) Evolutionist scientists must explain how the moon could be volcanically active for so long during its proposed old-earth age.
Images from NASA spacecraft (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) have revealed fault scarps on the Earth's moon, giving evidence of recent tectonic activity and therefore a young age. Scientists have long believed that the moon was cold and tectonically inactive for three billion years in the proposed 4.5 billion year time frame. The scarps have only recently been discovered and extend from the equator to the poles, giving strong evidence that these features are located throughout the moon and not confined to a certain section. The scarps are believed to have formed from thrust faults as the moon cools from the release of internal heat from volcanic activity. The scarps along with the transient lunar phenomena give strong evidence of recent tectonic and volcanic activity on the moon, which in turn implies a young existence for the moon. (4) Long, thin valleys known as graben have also been seen on the moon and are also evidence of recent tectonic activity (5). The graben features have not been bombarded by impacts, suggesting their youth. The evidence suggests that the moon was not totally molten when originally formed, which contradicts the standard evolutionist model for the moon and that its initial temperature was closer to the present temperature. The graben represent stretching of the surface and not compression, therefore indicating the recent tectonic activity. A totally molten moon would have experienced more intense contraction as it cooled, which would be evident in today's surface observations. The evidence supports the creationist young earth view that the moon was formed as is and not from a molten sphere of magma gradually cooling and contracting over millions of years.
(1) DeYoung, Don B., Transient Lunar Phenomena: A Permanent Problem for Evolutionary Models of Moon Formation. TJ 17(1) 2003.
(2) Lunar volcanoes rock long-age time frame, Creation 31(3):18, 2009.
(3) Recent Volcanic Eruptions on the Moon, Science 361(6402):2018.8.10.
(4) NASA Pictures Support Biblical Origin for Moon. Creation 33(2):50–52.
(5) New Scars Found on Moon, Hint at "Recent" Tectonic Activity. National Geographic News. February 23, 2012.
by Owen Borville
March 1, 2019
Astronomy
The proposed long age of the moon by evolutionists leads most scientists to believe that volcanic activity has long cooled off on the moon within supposedly more than four and a half billion years of existence and that the moon is geologically inactive. However, creationists have noted evidence of recent volcanic activity on the moon observed by telescope, including temporary bright spots and glows covering a relatively small area. Known as transient lunar phenomena, these events happen quickly within a few hours and can occur at any time, according to those who have observed them. Creationists explain that the observance of volcanic activity on the moon is evidence of its youth, specially created within the 6,000 year time frame and not from a random collision four and a half billion years ago as the evolutionists believe. (1) Specifically, the Book of Genesis describes the creation of the moon on Day 4 of Creation Week. Volcanism on the moon is believed by evolutionists to have ended three billion years ago, but the observance of recent activity questions the old-earth model. With the smaller size of the moon a quarter to that of Earth and much smaller mass, the volcanic activity on the moon should have ceased long ago. (2) Evolutionist scientists must explain how the moon could be volcanically active for so long during its proposed old-earth age.
Images from NASA spacecraft (Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter) have revealed fault scarps on the Earth's moon, giving evidence of recent tectonic activity and therefore a young age. Scientists have long believed that the moon was cold and tectonically inactive for three billion years in the proposed 4.5 billion year time frame. The scarps have only recently been discovered and extend from the equator to the poles, giving strong evidence that these features are located throughout the moon and not confined to a certain section. The scarps are believed to have formed from thrust faults as the moon cools from the release of internal heat from volcanic activity. The scarps along with the transient lunar phenomena give strong evidence of recent tectonic and volcanic activity on the moon, which in turn implies a young existence for the moon. (4) Long, thin valleys known as graben have also been seen on the moon and are also evidence of recent tectonic activity (5). The graben features have not been bombarded by impacts, suggesting their youth. The evidence suggests that the moon was not totally molten when originally formed, which contradicts the standard evolutionist model for the moon and that its initial temperature was closer to the present temperature. The graben represent stretching of the surface and not compression, therefore indicating the recent tectonic activity. A totally molten moon would have experienced more intense contraction as it cooled, which would be evident in today's surface observations. The evidence supports the creationist young earth view that the moon was formed as is and not from a molten sphere of magma gradually cooling and contracting over millions of years.
(1) DeYoung, Don B., Transient Lunar Phenomena: A Permanent Problem for Evolutionary Models of Moon Formation. TJ 17(1) 2003.
(2) Lunar volcanoes rock long-age time frame, Creation 31(3):18, 2009.
(3) Recent Volcanic Eruptions on the Moon, Science 361(6402):2018.8.10.
(4) NASA Pictures Support Biblical Origin for Moon. Creation 33(2):50–52.
(5) New Scars Found on Moon, Hint at "Recent" Tectonic Activity. National Geographic News. February 23, 2012.
