Tight Fold and Clastic Dikes as Evidence for Rapid Deposition and Deformation of Two Very Thick Stratigraphic Sequences

Introduction Evolutionists and creationists have different views on the origin of sedimentary rock strata. Evolutionists, who uphold the uniformitarian doctrine of 19th century geologists, suppose that most sedimentary strata were deposited slowly over millions of years as the Earth evolved gradually to its present configuration. Creationists who uphold the catastrophist doctrine of Scripture propose that most sedimentary strata were deposited rapidly by Noah’s Flood and that the total time span represented by sedimentary strata involves only thousands of years! Evidences for millions of years of deposition cited most frequently by evolutionists are radiometric dating and the supposed evolutionary succession of fossils in strata. Creationists, however, find the assumptions of radiometric dating objectionable and fault the logic behind evolution in the geologic column. Evidences for young age for strata frequently cited by creationists are the fiat Creation model of Scripture and the field evidences of rapid deposition of sedimentary strata. Evolutionists, however, reject the authority of Scripture and argue that some sedimentary strata indicate slow accumulation. Attempts to determine the correct interpretation of sedimentary strata have been hindered by certain non-scientific and unproductive tendencies of both evolutionists and creationists. In their response to creationists, evolutionists frequently cite philosophical and cosmological arguments for why the radiometric dating assumptions must be accepted. Evolutionists reply frequently to the failure of fossils to demonstrate large-scale, slow evolution by arguing that more complete collecting in the future will reveal the transitional forms that have not yet been found. Because of the entrance of “neocatastrophist” concepts into geology, many evolutionists are now willing to concede that most sedimentary strata formed rapidly, but insist that long periods of time are required by bedding planes and unconformities between strata where the evidence of long ages was never deposited or has been eroded away. These philosophical or ad hoc arguments lack the empirical support of scientific data and remain weak. Many observers notice that scientists should be more interested in explaining what has been found in defending their assumptions or in explaining what has not been found. Likewise, creationists have not always responded to the criticism of evolutionists with scientific evidence which fully supports their view of strata. When confronted with evolutionists’ claims of great periods of time between strata, creationists have countered Abstract Tight folds in 17,000 feet of Miocene to Pleistocene strata on the Split Mountain Fault in southern California indicate that Miocene or lower Pliocene sandstone remained in a non-lithified condition until folded in the late Pleistocene. Likewise, soft sediment deformation features (clastic dikes, tight drag folds, and intense monoclines) in 14,000 feet of Cambrian to Cretaceous strata on the Ute Pass Fault in Colorado argue that even the Cambrian strata were not lithified when the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains was uplifted in the late Cretaceous Laramide event. Evolutionists have assumed the California strata sequence involves about six million years between deposition and deformation. Furthermore, they have assumed the Colorado strata sequence involves up to 430 million years between deposition and deformation. How these two sedimentary sequences could escape lithification after deep burial for millions of years remains unexplained by evolutionists. On the other hand, creationists view this evidence that sedimentation and tectonics are concurrent as evidence for rapid deposition and deformation.