RE: cracks in creationism

Glenn Morton (grmorton@waymark.net)
Thu, 11 Dec 1997 20:53:56 -0600

At 06:07 PM 12/11/97 -0800, Arthur V. Chadwick wrote:
>At 04:32 PM 12/11/97 -0500, Chuck wrote:
>
> My first response to the article was the question the creation
>>of the imprint of a leaf on basalt, considering that leaves don't last
>>long at high temperatures, and basalt is deposited as a molten lava.
>>Glenn Morton made a similar comment and went into more detail.
>
>Having climbed inside the Rhinocerus cast in the Columbia River Basalts,
>and seen many tree casts with bark impressions in basalt as well as trees
>encased in basalt (it is much cooler than Glenn asserts when it is flowing
>at the surface, and is rapidly cooled by contact with trees. In fact,
>Basalt flows at slightly in excess of 800 degrees C. (complete melt at 1100
>degrees). At these temperatures, the moisture in a leaf is quite capable
>of solidifying the basalt, leaving an impression of what once was.

Art,

The basalt you criticise me for citing is at the surface and has come down
Mt Kilaua. I would point out two things. 800 deg C is 1.8 *800+32= 1472 F
and 1100 C is 2012 F. In the picture from which I got the 2100 C, the guy
was sticking a thermomeeter into a hole in the top of a lava tube. The 1100
C temperature is not far from what I stated.

Secondly, there is a difference between what you cite and what Snelling is
citing. The Rhinoceras cast is quite famous but there is no Rhinoceras
roast left in it. The rhino is gone. You mention tree casts, I am sure
that you are correct that there are tree casts, but are there trees?
Snelling said that there was wood. There is no doubt that the cool wood and
cool rhino skin will act to cool the basalt and form a mold around the
animal or tree. But goodness gracious, charcoal that we use in our backyard
barbeques is made by cooking wood in an oxygenless environment at a much
lower temperature than 1500 F. Why was their any uncharred wood?

glenn

Adam, Apes, and Anthropology: Finding the Soul of Fossil Man

and

Foundation, Fall and Flood
http://www.isource.net/~grmorton/dmd.htm