Runaway subduction

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Contents 1 Claim 2 Source 3 Responses 4 Fallacies contained in this claim 5 External Links 6 References 7 Further Reading 8 Related claims 9 Acknowledgments

Claim

Baumgardner's computer model shows that runaway subduction explains how the global Flood occurred. The cold, heavy crust of the ocean floor sinks into the lighter, hotter mantle, releasing gravitational potential energy as heat. Runaway subduction posits that this process greatly accelerated. "As the plates deform the surrounding rock, the mechanical energy of deformation is converted into heat, creating a superheated envelope of silicate around the sinking ocean floor. Silicate is very sensitive to heat, so it becomes weaker, allowing the plates to sink faster and heating the envelope still further, and so on, faster and faster. As the plates pull apart, the gap between them grows into a broadening seam in the planet. This sends a gigantic bubble of mantle shooting up through these ridges; which displaces the oceans; which creates a huge flood." God "caused an enormous blob of hot mantle material to come rushing up at incredible velocity through the underwater midocean ridges. The material ballooned, displacing a tidal wave of sea water over the continents. . . . Then, after 150 days (Genesis 7:24), the bubble retreated with equal speed into the Earth." [Chandler, 1997]

Source

• Chandler B., 1997. The geophysics of God. US News & World Report (1997 June 16) 122: 55-58.

Responses

1. If miracles are required to explain this series of events, it's not significantly more enlightening (in a scientific sense) than "And God made the firmament and separated the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament."(Genesis 1:7, KJV) The requirement of miracles renders the science involved nothing more than window dressing for the gullible. The reference mentioned further down the page (Baumgardner, John R., 1990b]. The imperative of non-stationary natural law in relation to Noah's Flood. Creation Research Society Quarterly 27(3): 98-100.) can be seen at: [1]. Simply reading Mr Baumgardner's own analysis should clarify the situation for anyone with any respect for physical science.
2. Wouldn't a gigantic bubble of magma coming up from the Earth's mantle have left traces of its presence? One should at least expect to find massive basalt formations all over the planet, but these are extremely rare.
3. add more responses

Fallacies contained in this claim

• Just So Story (made up to fit the myth, doesn't make sense)

External Links

• Matsumura, Molleen, 1997. Miracles in, creationism out: "The geophysics of God". Reports of the National Center for Science Education 17(3): 29-32. [2]
• Isaak, Mark, 1998. Problems with a Global Flood, 2nd edition. [3]

References

1. Baumgardner, John R., 1990a. Changes accompanying Noah's Flood. Proceedings of the second international conference on creationism, vol. II, pp. 35-45.
2. Baumgardner, John R., 1990b. The imperative of non-stationary natural law in relation to Noah's Flood. Creation Research Society Quarterly 27(3): 98-100.
3. Baumgardner, John R., 1994. Patterns of ocean circulation over the continents during Noah's Flood. Proceedings of the third international conference on creationism, technical symposium sessions, pp. 77-86.
4. Carroll, Robert L., 1997. Patterns and Processes of Vertebrate Evolution, Cambridge University Press.
5. Matsumura, Molleen, 1997. (see above)
6. Poldervaart, Arie, 1955. Chemistry of the earth's crust. pp. 119-144 in: Poldervaart, A., ed., Crust of the Earth, Geological Society of America Special Paper 62, Waverly Press, MD.

Further Reading

• Strahler AN., 1987. Science and Earth History: The Evolution/Creation Controversy. Buffalo (NY): Prometheus Books.

Related claims

• Vapor canopy
• Flood from comet
• Hydroplate theory

Acknowledgments

• 65.70.138.253