Well, if there is a feasible explanation, Walt Brown, of all people will probably not be able to give it to you.
quote:
{Added by edit}
I find the idea that the Flood laid down the sediments in the rising stages and then cut the canyon in the receding stages a bit unrealistic. The idea about the cliffs not being able to support themselves at this stage pretty much refutes such reasoning. That's why I keep emphasizing that many creationists do not take this view.
--I agree with your reasoning, but im not so sure about your last sentence (if we are dealing with majorities). The majority of creationists do not understand the relevant geological processes and data that refute their simplistic hypotheses (a problem Walt Brown seems to have--or at least he just isn't that concerned with potentially falsifiable scientific accuracy). However I would be happy to see revolution in this instance. I certainly hope that the majority of YEC's can at least grasp the fact that the grand canyon problem(s) aren't as simple as Kent Hovind would convey.
--As per the question of whether grand canyon walls would slump or not after catastrophic fluvial(?) erosion; the only way to address the problem would be to find a balance between the rate of lithification and of erosion. I do not think that catastrophic erosion is feasible because the rate of erosion is far too high.
--YEC's should attempt to model the rate of lithification of a large column of sediment vs. the rate of fluvial erosion. I think that required conditions would be:
[a] - complete dessication and cementation of the sediments making up the grand canyon area should not occur for the majority of the time involved. This is because the rate of erosion would decrease to about current rates. This applies to the strata directly under the fluvial system(not the sediments which makeup walls).
[b] - the rate of erosion should not exceed some ideal rate of lithification that would enduce slumping of the canyon walls.
[c] - basically, as the river continues to erode underlying sediment, the sediment constituting the GC walls should lithify sufficiently to support superposing sediment.
[d] - the initial or overall regime of erosion should be sufficient to compensate for meandering.
Im not sure about the plausibility of a coherent young earth situation, but I would like to see Austin, et al. look into this rationally. Then again my recent time away from the geological literature may be showing.
This message has been edited by TrueCreation, 01-03-2005 20:06 AM
This message has been edited by TrueCreation, 01-03-2005 20:15 AM
This message has been edited by TrueCreation, 01-03-2005 20:17 AM
™ Version 4.2