Flood Models
Despite what other creationist earth scientists state, a sophisticated Flood model has not yet been developed. We have three main competing models at the moment, which is a good thing considering the principle of multiple working hypothesis. These ideas are: 1) John Baumgardner’s catastrophic plate tectonics model, 2) Walt Brown’s hydroplate model, and 3) the asteroid impact model. It could be that parts of two or three of the models are correct and should be amalgamated into a new model. At this moment, I lean toward the third model, the asteroid impact model, but I am still doing research and gathering data.
My approach to model building is found in the Bible in 1 Thessalonians 5:21: “Examine everything carefully; hold fast to that which is good” (NASB). So, I believe in examining present models, their assumptions, and as much geological, geophysical, and solar system data as possible. I see lots of problems with all three of the main models that have not yet been addressed.
I have come to believe that we need to think of the Genesis Flood as a flash flood. A flash flood is a rapid rise of water as compared to a regular stream or river flood that represents a slow rise in water. The events of a flash flood can be broken down to: 1) a rapid initial rise, 2) a slowing of the rise, 3) the peak of the flash flood, 4) the water level falling while flowing through all or much of the drainage, and 5) the water levels falls so that many objects become exposed, such as boulders, bars, etc., that force the water to channelized around these obstacles before the flash flood is over. These events of a flash flood can be used to think of the Genesis Flood, which can be divided into 5 similar phases within two main stages: 1) a Flooding Stage and 2) a Retreating Stage. These stages and phases is shown in the following table were developed by Tasman Walker of Australia in the third International Conference on Creationism in 1994.
Based on this classification from a flash flood, we should continue Tas Walker’s effort to develop criteria to distinguish the stages and phases in the rock and fossil record, which is where the evidence will be found. We should look at the rock and fossil record through the classification of the event that laid them down, the Genesis flood. If events match those of secular scientists, such as found in the geological column or parts of the geological column, so be it. But, if events do not match, then so be it. There is no reason why secular geological interpretations should necessarily match events during the Flood. So, this gives one the opportunity to piece together the Flood model, which is an ongoing research initiative with further developments forthcoming.
Each of the five phases corresponds to the five phases in a flash flood described above. “Water in sheets” occurs early in the Retreating Stage, since few mountains and plateaus are exposed at this time and the water is free to move across the earth as wide, fast-moving currents in places. “Water in channels” occurs late in the Flood after many mountains, plateaus, and other high areas become exposed above the Floodwater, so that the water is forced to flow around these obstacles. I have especially worked on these two phases of the Flood, which involves the geological subfield of geomorphology, the study of the shape of the Earth’s surface including the bottom of the ocean (“geo” means earth and “morphology” means shape).
Evidence for the Retreating Stage should be abundant on the Earth’s surface, if the Flood was a real event. I have found that indeed the evidence for the runoff of the Floodwater is abundant. Furthermore, this evidence is very difficult (even seems impossible) to explain within the uniformitarian/actualistic model. Such features include planation and erosion surfaces, tall residual remnants, water and wind gaps, pediments, the continental shelf and slope, and submarine canyons.
I have learned that by going backwards in creationist earth history, I have learned some important lessons about the Flood. The study of the Ice Age and geomorphology has shown me where the Flood/post-Flood boundary is likely located. This is an important boundary because it will tell us what catastrophic events occurred late in the Flood as well as after the Flood. A study of geomorphology has shown me that the Flood runoff, the Retreating Stage, was predominantly an erosional event over most of the continental area. During sheet flow and erosion, the eroded debris would have been carried off the continent where the currents slow down in deep water and drop their load, forming the continental shelf and slope (a continuous geomorphological feature around all continents, which you can think of as a sheet bathtub ring). So, the sedimentary rocks and fossils left behind in most continental areas, especially high areas that likely emerged from the Floodwater the quickest, are from the early part of the Flood, the Flooding Stage. So, it looks like 95% of the sedimentary rocks were deposited early in the Flood during the Flooding Stage! This makes sense, because the early Flood was tremendously catastrophic. That is the time one would expect the greatest amount of erosion and sedimentation. More lessons have been learned and are still being learned. For more information on geomorphology and the Retreating Stage see my book in the Books/DVDs section, entitled: “Flood by Design: Receding Water Shapes the Earth’s Surface.”
