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100 Reasons to Choose Biblical Creation Over Evolution
59. The Ice Age
The earth has undoubtedly experienced a period of greatly increased snowfall and low temperatures, particularly in northern latitudes. This period is known as the ice age, and evidence for it is practically unequivocal. The question is, what caused it? No naturalistic explanation exists which can fully explain one ice age, yet evolutionists believe that many ice ages have come and gone throughout earth's vast history.
The ice age was a time of decreased temperature and increased snowfall. Both seem incompatible in today's world. The Antarctic, for example, is the coldest place on earth, yet it receives very little precipitation. Antarctica is a virtual desert. Precipitation first requires evaporation, and evaporation requires elevated temperatures in areas where the liquid water exists. What could have caused an ice age, in which low temperatures and increased snowfall must have been present together?
The Genesis flood is the key. The flood would have been a time of great crustal upheaval and increased volcanism. Volcanic particulate in the air would have blocked out much of the sun's raysA,, while large amounts of molten rock flowing into the oceans would have elevated the water temperature. The increased water temperature would result in a corresponding increase in evaporation, and the cooling effect of the blocked sunlight would have caused precipitation in the form of snow. Computer simulations have indicated that an increase in ocean temperature results in an increase in precipitation, particularly in the northern latitudesB.
59. The Ice Age - Notes and References
A. "…Indonesia's Tambora killed 12,000 people, and its airborne ash cooled the earth enough to cause "the year without a summer" of 1816. Meteorological effects from St. Helens, in contrast, were predicted to be negligible." National Geographic, Jan., 1981, p.55
B. "[Precipitation] rates exceed 8 inches/hr over Greenland, Antarctica, southeastern Asia, northeastern North America, northwestern Europe, and western Africa." Larry Vardman, ICR "Impact Article 254", Aug., 1994, www.icr.org