>> As some of you know, I teach a seminar on "Evolution and
Creation" at California State University- Fullerton. During the
last few classes we have been discussing young earth creationism.
I showed the seminar Glenn Morton's book and quoted a few passages.
We had some trouble with the following passage on page 17 where
Glenn is responding to young earth theorists who he argues do not
sufficiently address methods through which salt is removed from the
sea. [This is in the context of an argument that, at the rates at
which salt is entering and leaving the sea, and the present salt
content, the sea cannot be billions of years old.]
However, it is by evaporation that most of the salt is
believed to have been removed from the sea. Is there any
evidence that salt has evaporated from the oceans? Quite
simply, it is everywhere. Occasionally, due to
continental drift, the ocean basins become configured in
such such a way that evaporation deposits salt on the
ocean floor.
This leaves salt sandwiched between other sediments.
I and my students don't understand how "evaporation deposits salt
on the ocean floor". If anyone can help us with this, we would be
most grateful, Glenn of course preferably, but he may not have
time.<<
Oh, that isn't too clear is it. :-) Sorry. Here is what the deal is. In a
basin like the Mediterranean, which has one opening to the sea, if you plug
that opening up, the ocean evaporates leaving salt on the bottom. Prior to
the plugging of the opening, the ocean bottom sediments are sand and shale.
When the opening reconnects to the sea, the sea water is unable to
completely re-dissolve the salt on the bottom of the sea. In fact a layer of
supersaturated brine which does not mix with the rest of the water, and this
will protect the lower salt from further evaporation. Sedimentation will
eventually cover the salt with clays and sands, leaving a layer of salt
sandwiched between clastic (sand and shale) sediment.
The Zechstein salt of Europe is deposited in an elongated pattern of about
the same size and shape as the Mediterranean. This salt covers parts of
Germany and the North Sea. A well offshore Canada, drilled through clastic
rocks then about 2000? feet of bedded salt before re-entering clastic
sediments. This salt is believed to have been deposited when the North
Atlantic Ocean was just opening up and was a narrow gulf of the South
Atlantic. At that time, something happened to restrict the water exchange
with the South Atlantic and the sea evaporated leaving lots of salt on the
ocean floor. This salt was later covered by later sedimentation when the
Atlantic opened all the way.
Other salt deposits sandwiched between sediments include the Salina formation
of Michigan and New York. There is a salt layer in the Williston Basin of
North Dakota I forget the formation name (Dupree?). There is the Louann Salt
of The Gulf of Mexico which is now regularly drilled through in search of
oil. In fact Phillips Petroleum has had a major oil discovery below the
salt.
For those who want this salt to be deposited by the flood, they often have
pollen grains in them! This indicates subaerial exposure.
I hope this helps. If it doesn't, come back at me again.
glenn