Benchmarks of Receding Ocean Levels
With the stabilization of earth’s axis the ice glaciers started to progressively melt. Snow accumulations commenced in the polar regions, and together with the contraction of the ocean ridges the sea levels began to gradually decrease. The receding of the oceans left many traces of islands, terraces, caves, and arches. However, since each ocean level existed for a short period of time, these features were retained only in strata of sandstone and limestone. Harder formations were left with no visible effect, and softer formations eroded with time leaving no trace of ocean levels. The following bench mark figures and comments demonstrate the receding of these ocean levels from the high point elevation of approximately 5000 ft. (1524 M) down to the water levels of the Great Lakes.
Figure 11
Bench Mark (Figure 11) is a scene showing a sandstone sedimentary formation located in an Arizona dessert that is called by its unique shape the Bell Rock. The height of the Bell Rock is well over 5000 ft. ( 1524 M. ) above present sea level. The sedimentary nature of the sandstone indicates that this formation before the flood extended far beyond its present boundaries. The effects of the vertical deluge downpour virtually washed away the surrounding sandstone strata and what remain is a bell shaped mountain with a cap of much harder sandstone. As the ocean levels began to drop, the island mountain was shaped by horizontal wave action creating terraces at each descending level of the sea.
Figure 12
Bench Mark (Figure 12) shows views of buttes, mesas, and pinnacles that indicate enormous erosion by downpour that occurred at these high elevations of western United States during the deluge period. Here, the boundaries of the vertical downpour and the horizontal erosion can be clearly seen at the termination of pinnacles and the terraces made by wave action. At the lower ground levels different river widths and depths can also be seen. Many other visible forms appearing in the western landscape are evidence to the massive vertical downpour and horizontal passing of the deluge waters throughout the area. These kind of features also occur in many parts of the world.
Figure 13
Bench Mark (Figure 13) reveals water level terraces at over 4500 ft. ( 1371 M. ) elevation in the background of Utah’s Great Salt Lake mountains. At these elevations, iceberg rafting of various size boulders occurred with the melting and breakup of glacial ice.
Figure 14
Bench Mark (Figure 14) features a scene of the Cumberland Mountains off the south bound Interstate 75 Expressway near Jellico, Tennessee. In this panoramic view ocean level features in the form of islands can be seen on top of the mountains and terraces stretching along the sides. These features continue on both sides of the expressway. The minimum elevation of these mountains is 2000 ft. ( 609 M )
Figure 15
Bench Mark (Figure 15) is a scene taken at a rest stop on north bound Interstate 75 and north of the Tennessee - Kentucky border. Here one can observe in the distance hills surmounted by former islands of the ocean levels with a long terrace stretching from island to island. These terrace elevations can also be matched with terraces seen on hills in the foreground. The approximate elevation of the hills in this area is 1000 ft. ( 304 M ).
Figure 16
Bench Mark (Figure 16) shows a cave formation which is on Flower Pot Island in Georgian Bay area of Canada’s Ontario Province. The cave today is at the third terrace level about 50 ft. above the bay waters at 578 ft. (176 M), which puts the cave at a 628 ft. ( 191 M ) elevation. This means that the cave is 28 ft. above Lake Superior which is at 600 ft. ( 183 M ); therefore, all surrounding lower areas of Michigan and Ontario would have been under water.
Figure 17
Figure 17. This illustration shows the Great Lakes region during the receding ice age stage. The major Lake Superior meteorite impact penetrated deep into the earth’s crust. This caused volcanic activity to such a degree that much of Lake Superior area remained hot during the entire time of the most severe period of the glacial presence. The massive impact caused the surrounding strata to shift and incline to a 40 deg. slope and Isle Royale to be set up in a 90 deg. position exposing basaltic formations from the depths.
Copper ores on Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula were melted in the sloping strata veins allowing silver contents to rise and accumulate at the top of the copper vein. The process of this silvers accumulation indicates that a very long period of thermal activity remained in this area after the impact. The remaining impact craters, (See Fig. 17) set the topography pattern for the rest of the Great Lakes in this region. The Kelly Island glacial grooves were formed during this period as vast accumulations of ice flows were backed up by the many islands obstructing the west to east flow of the melting glaciers and ice. The ice passing with sand and gravel grit over the limestone formations of Kelly Island carved out the long grooves that can be seen at this time. A meteorite impact crater in Lake Erie on the eastern side of Kelly Island was filled with the sand and gravel that was transported by this glacial ice.
The receding waters throughout the world did not settle at the present ocean level but continued to drop below the continental shelf elevation. Land bridges allowed access to all continents including Australia, the Island of Madagascar and even the Galapagos. Locked in the glacial ice formations were the cold thawing temperatures that caused advancing and receding movements of the melting glacial masses. These movements were in step with solar influences and regulating, though unstable, seasonal climates. Eventually, the oceans rose and the continental shelf was once again covered by the ocean waters which stabilized at the present level. This second inundation of the continental shelf was most likely the flood of the legendary Gilgamesh Epic and other world wide stories of epic floods.
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