I'm trying to find out what is the (old-earth) theory for how all the geologic column (all the layers/strata) came to be. When I try to use google, the results seem to consist entirely of links to YEC sites, and I'd like to hear the old-earth theory from its advocates.
I assume that the story is a complex one, with different processes occurring at different times and places. But I'm hoping someone can give me an introduction or an overall idea.
I seem to have several fundamental questions I'm trying to understand. Like is it possible to give me an idea regarding where these layers are? It seems unlikely that the layers are uniform around the globe, because that would seem to imply that the layers were build up by adding new mass (extraterrestrial?) to the earth. I'm assuming the processes primarily involve matter repeatedly taken from some places on earth and piled up repeatedly over time in other places on earth. So I'm curious what places (or kinds of places?) on Earth was the matter taken from and what places where layers built up over time?
Another question is what makes them distinct layers? That is, presumably if the process were perfectly uniform over the whole time, there would not be identifiable layers at all but one uniform mass? So what kinds of changes over time creates various layers of different kinds?
I've gathered that there are some layers created by lava or volcanic ash. But it seems that this is not the majority of the bulk of the strata?
A few places I've found seem to indicate that the sediments were all deposited under water. That is, that multiple times the sea level rose and covered major portions of the continents (or entire continents?), and then receded. The idea I gathered is that sediments were deposited while under the ocean, and then tended to be weathered down during times when exposed (when the oceans were receded). Is this correct? If so, then I have additional questions: Wouldn't that mean that the layers do not represent a complete chronology of time because they would represent only those durations of time when the land was covered by the ocean (and even then the top layers of each of those sequences may be missing because they were weathered away when exposed)? And if the sediments were only (or primarily) deposited when the land was covered by the ocean, then how did all those land animal fossils get in there?
Directing me to resources is helpful but even better if someone can explain any of these things to me themselves. Thanks.
I assume that the story is a complex one, with different processes occurring at different times and places. But I'm hoping someone can give me an introduction or an overall idea.
I seem to have several fundamental questions I'm trying to understand. Like is it possible to give me an idea regarding where these layers are? It seems unlikely that the layers are uniform around the globe, because that would seem to imply that the layers were build up by adding new mass (extraterrestrial?) to the earth. I'm assuming the processes primarily involve matter repeatedly taken from some places on earth and piled up repeatedly over time in other places on earth. So I'm curious what places (or kinds of places?) on Earth was the matter taken from and what places where layers built up over time?
Another question is what makes them distinct layers? That is, presumably if the process were perfectly uniform over the whole time, there would not be identifiable layers at all but one uniform mass? So what kinds of changes over time creates various layers of different kinds?
I've gathered that there are some layers created by lava or volcanic ash. But it seems that this is not the majority of the bulk of the strata?
A few places I've found seem to indicate that the sediments were all deposited under water. That is, that multiple times the sea level rose and covered major portions of the continents (or entire continents?), and then receded. The idea I gathered is that sediments were deposited while under the ocean, and then tended to be weathered down during times when exposed (when the oceans were receded). Is this correct? If so, then I have additional questions: Wouldn't that mean that the layers do not represent a complete chronology of time because they would represent only those durations of time when the land was covered by the ocean (and even then the top layers of each of those sequences may be missing because they were weathered away when exposed)? And if the sediments were only (or primarily) deposited when the land was covered by the ocean, then how did all those land animal fossils get in there?
Directing me to resources is helpful but even better if someone can explain any of these things to me themselves. Thanks.
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