Explaining the Ice Age

The President’s agenda for his second term includes dealing with climate changes, which many scientists claim are caused by man-made technologies.  There have been major climate changes in the past, but none of them resulted from man or man-made technologies. Here’s something to consider as a national debate develops.

One of the great mysteries of world history is the Ice Age and the Ice Age animals that lived within the past few thousand years. The usual assumption is that the Ice Age began because something caused the earth to begin cooling.

However, this is a false assumption. Colder temperatures alone could never start an Ice Age with the buildup of massive amounts of snow. A drop in the average world temperature would produce fewer rather than more snow-producing clouds. This is because little water evaporates from cold oceans, and cold air does not hold much water vapor. In fact, super cold environments are technically deserts.

A combination of two extremely rare conditions is necessary in order to put enough moisture into the air to produce large amounts of snow. These conditions are cooler summer temperatures and warmer ocean waters, especially in the Polar Regions.

In order for snow clouds to form, liquid water must evaporate as water vapor. The process of evaporation occurs faster when the water is warm. The air above the water must also be warm enough to hold large amounts of water vapor until it can rise into higher regions of the atmosphere where the air is colder.

Eventually, the water vapor will condense back into tiny particles of liquid water and form clouds. At colder temperatures, tiny ice crystals quickly form within the clouds and eventually fall to earth as snow.

In addition to warm waters and warm air, one additional condition is needed to start an ice age. There must be something that prevents all the winter snow and ice from melting every summer. During an ice age, new layers of snow are added every year on top of older layers.

So, what is a possible explanation for why the ocean waters became warmer at the same time the average temperature of the world became cooler? The Biblical history of the world gives a very plausible, straightforward explanation.

Genesis 6-8 gives an account of a worldwide Flood that occurred more than 4000 years ago. There were unrepeatable conditions around the world following the Flood that would have been optimal for starting an ice age.

Michael Oard, the author of Frozen in Time and a specialist in meteorology, agrees that a worldwide Flood occurred over 4000 years ago that was followed by an Ice Age. He estimates that the Ice Age would have lasted from 500 to 800 years from beginning to end. He is one of several scientists who propose the following explanation for what happened.

The earth’s crustal plates broke open as the Flood began, exposing the oceans to the warmer temperatures of the deep crust. There was also an increase in volcanic activity on the ocean floor, which would have warmed the oceans even more. Then the warmer ocean waters would have warmed the air above it.

The evaporation of water from warm oceans, as well as the warm air above the oceans, would have put huge amounts of water vapor and clouds into the air.  Abundant snow would have occurred around the Polar Regions, with glaciers first forming in the higher elevations and later expanding to low-lying areas and shorelines. Eventually glaciers would have moved even farther into more temperate regions.

At the same time, the movement and shifting of tectonic plates in the earth’s crust would have caused a great increase in volcanic activity. The large amount of volcanic ash in the atmosphere would have blocked some of the radiations from the sun, causing the overall temperatures of the earth to remain cooler than usual. This cooling period would have aided in the buildup of huge glaciers and sheets of ice, because it prevented much of the snow on the ground from melting.

The Ice Age would have ended as the oceans cooled and the intense volcanic activity slowed. The unrepeatable conditions that would have been present at the end the Flood are a logical explanation for why the Ice Age began and ended and why another ice age will never occur again.

What does history say about this period of time? The very early cities and civilizations of the earth during the Ice Age were located in the more temperate areas of the earth and were not greatly affected by the icy conditions. They were, however, receiving abundant rain for the same reasons other parts of the world were receiving huge amounts of snow.

The Ice Age provides a very credible explanation for the extinction of woolly mammoths and other Ice Age animals. There is no question that these animals were living on the earth within the last few thousand years. A few probably remained as recently as a few hundred years ago.

The covering of flat lands with sheets of ice would explain why millions of woolly mammoths rapidly became extinct. The ice would have destroyed the large fields of grasses and the fresh water that they depended upon for their survival. Some ice age animals probably moved to more temperate regions. Unable to adapt and survive in these new environments, they also became extinct.

Reference: Frozen in Time by Michael Oard, MasterBooks.

The Pyramid Belt

 

In the small community where I grew up there are still a couple of log cabins that owners have preserved. But most of the 1800 houses and buildings are no longer standing. There are even fewer buildings from the 1700s, 1600s, or 1500s within hundreds of miles of my hometown.

However, there are still several man-made structures that were built around 1000 A.D. within easy driving distance of where I grew up. These are well-built earthen mounds found in Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and other Southeastern states. There are literally thousands of mounds in or around the Mississippi basin and its tributaries.

Mounds near the ocean were typically made from shells, animal bones, and other items.  Not all of the mounds are well-preserved, but of the ones that have been studied by professional archeologists, many skillfully made artifacts have been recovered.

Not a lot is known about the mound builders, but they seem to have made up flourishing communities from around A.D. 800-1500. About 500 years ago, they dissipated or died off, leaving few clues as to what happened to them.  The original people who lived in these cultures were apparently very intelligent and used advanced technologies in building mounds, sun calendars, and other items. Continue reading The Pyramid Belt

Billl Nye vs Creationism: A Video Gone Viral

Bill Nye vs Creationism: A Video Gone Viral

Bill Nye is a terrific teacher. He can take a difficult concept in science and make it clear as crystal to students. What gives him even more of an edge as a teacher is that he makes learning fun and interesting. It’s no wonder that the TV show “Bill Nye The Science Guy” became a very popular show with many fans.

However, Bill has recently found himself in the middle of a raging controversy as the result of his inappropriate warnings to parents about creationism on a video-gone-viral. The YouTube video, “Creationism Is Not Appropriate for Children,” was posted by the online forum Big Think in August.1  It has already counted almost 5 million viewers and logged thousands of comments.

Continue reading Billl Nye vs Creationism: A Video Gone Viral

Crossing the Earth’s Oceans: 2000 B.C.

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Would it surprise you to know that three women, Tori Murden in 1999, Julie Wafaei in 2006, and Katie Spotz in 2010, rowed solo across the Atlantic? In fact, the number of recorded times individuals or small teams have rowed across the Atlantic and even the Pacific Ocean is now in double digits. The first recorded account of a team of two people to row across the Atlantic was in 1896, completed without the help of modern electronics or tools.

The jingle “In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue” is so ingrained in our thinking that it’s hard to imagine that Columbus wasn’t the leader of the first team ever to row or sail across the Atlantic. But, some compelling evidence indicates that many people traveled across the oceans and mapped the places they visited well before the time of Columbus.

Continue reading Crossing the Earth’s Oceans: 2000 B.C.

Views About Creation From a Rocket Scientist

Have you ever heard the expression, “It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to know that”?  Here is a true rocket scientist expressing his views on the teaching of creation in public schools. Dr. von Braun was director of the arm of NASA that put a man on the moon. It is unclear when his Christian walk began, but his opinions are clear and wise. I have highlighted some of his remarks. They speak for themselves.

 

The following letter was written by Dr. Wernher von Braun to the California State Board of Education in 1972.

Continue reading Views About Creation From a Rocket Scientist

Were Early Humans Evolving or Devolving?

This is Part II of an interview with Jim Brennamen about cave men and early humans.

Question:  Do you find the Bible accounts of early man to be accurate?

Jim:  I have come to the conclusion after years of research and reading on the subject, that no one has a real hold on understanding early man.  However, what the Bible presents remains unchallenged by any of the “latest” fossil finds or DNA research or archaeological discoveries.

We should always make sure we are starting with a firm grasp on the facts as revealed in the simple straight-forward reading of Scripture. All humans originated as the descendants  Continue reading Were Early Humans Evolving or Devolving?

Cave Men–Fully Human or Half Human?

Today’s blog features an interview with Jim Brenneman. Jim studied anthropology at a state university as an honors student with a specialized interest in Neanderthals. He has also taught classes in biblical Hebrew and biblical archaeology, has directed two study tours in Israel, and has an avid interest in the biblical flood.

 

Question:  Neanderthals, or cave men, are found in most textbooks as large brutish animals, stooped over and carrying a club. Are Neanderthals fully human, half-human, or, just an animal?

Jim:  What a Neanderthal might “look like” has no bearing at all on whether or not they are fully human souls. All people are of one blood, and descendents of Adam and Eve, and more recently descendents of the three sons of Noah. Continue reading Cave Men–Fully Human or Half Human?

The Regression of Early Civilizations

Some of the people who lived 3000 to 4000 years ago built pyramids and other megalithic buildings. They traveled in ships to various places around the world in search of minerals and natural resources.  They made calendars that showed the correct length of a solar year. They obtained minerals such as iron and copper from smelting furnaces. They measured the earth, surveyed it, and made accurate maps of the earth.  Continue reading The Regression of Early Civilizations

Who Are the Real Anti-Science People?

 

The term “anti-science” is a new buzz word being used by the media. It usually refers to anyone who is skeptical of Darwinian evolution or disastrous climate change predictions.

 

Who are some of the people that are labeled “anti-science” by the media? An educational leader was bashed by the media as being anti-science for suggesting that students should be taught the scientific evidence for evolution as well as the scientific challenges to evolution.  A presidential candidate was called anti-science for suggesting that it would be unwise to pass legislation to curb global warming before more information was gathered and debated.

Continue reading Who Are the Real Anti-Science People?

NOMA or Not NOMA?

At first glance, the philosophy of NOMA (nonoverlapping magisteria) appears to be the perfect solution to conflicts between evolutionary science and religion. In reality, it is a subtle and deceitful lie.

The phrase was coined by Steven Jay Gould, a prominent paleontologist from Harvard. In 1984, Gould met at the Vatican with a group of scientists from around the world to discuss the issue of nuclear winter. It was sponsored by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and included several French and Italian Jesuit priests who were also professional scientists. During the meeting there were several conversations about the conflict between scientific creationism and evolution. Gould reassured his fellow scientists that there is no conflict between science and religion. After all, Pope Pius XII had permitted limited teachings about evolution. The Pope had also suggested that there were different magisteria (teaching areas) occupied by the Church and by science.

Continue reading NOMA or Not NOMA?