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100 Reasons to Choose Biblical Creation Over Evolution
84. Overthrusts
In various locations on the earth, the geological column appears upside-down. That is, fossils associated with older periods of earth history have somehow managed to end up on top of strata supposedly millions of years younger. The standard explanation for this is that huge sections of rock, spanning hundreds of square miles, slid up and over the so-called younger rock layers; a situation known as an overthrust. The scenario seems hard to imagine but the evidence suggests that overthrusts did occur.
The flood model does predict a general order to the fossils based on animals' habitat, mobility, intelligence, bodyweight and density. This general order is indeed seen in the fossil record, though plenty of exceptions do exist. Because the sequence appears quite upside-down in places like the Lewis Thrust, Heart Mountain, and the Appalachians, it's obvious that large sections of rock did indeed slide to their present location atop other rock layers. Curiously, the rock layers beneath do not show nearly the deformation one would expect if such massive bodies of rock actually slide across themA. What's going on?
Overthrusts pose a problem for the evolutionist, who must believe that they are the product of slow uniform processes over millions of years. Because a rock more than 5 miles long cannot be slid over another rock, no matter how smooth, without fracturing the rockB, overthrusts must have occurred under very unique circumstances. Current processes seem hopelessly inadequate.
The flood is the key. Huge volumes of flowing water would have lubricated vast sections of rocks from beneath, while carrying them to their present locations. Only this can account for the un-fractured condition of massive amounts of ovethrust rock, and the relatively un-deformed rock layers beneath.
84. Overthrusts - Notes and References
A. Many creationists have argued that areas where overthrusts are said to have occurred show no signs at all of such movement. This is really giving evolutionists a straw man to knock down. Areas such as Chief Mountain do shows signs that overthrusting has occurred. Geologist Don Patton verified this to me in October 2004. Though some parts of the thrust do look barely deformed, other show definite signs that overthrusting has occurred. To say that no deformation is present at these sites is overstating the case, and any informed evolutionist will be happy to show photos of those areas along thrust faults, which are clearly distorted.
B. Walt Brown, "In the Beginning, 7th Ed.", Technical note, p. 310-311