Message #258102

[Trasean Trafalgar]

Direct Evidence of an Emergent Atlantis

Additional information relevant to a possible formerly emergent continent in the Atlantic Ocean was summarized by MacKenzie Keith. (Keith, M., 2001, "Evidence for a plate tectonics debate," Earth-Science Reviews 55:235-336, 318. "... resolved that plate tectonics is the most fantastic house of cards that has ever been erected in science.")

Professor Keith's review provided data on former shallow water or emergent sites sampled by the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP). The sampling sites are currently underwater in the region of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR). Locations for three of these sites are shown by large dots (labeled A, B and C) on Figure 6. The dots are rather large because, while the sampling coordinates that are listed give degrees north latitude, they do not give degrees west longitude. It is understood, however, that the samples were taken in the vicinity of the MAR's axial valley, clearly visible on Figure 6.

Here's what was found at point A, at a depth of 12,802 ft - highly vesicular basalt, weathered and oxidized basalt, and a major gap in the basal sedimentary section that indicates subaerial erosion. At site B, at a depth of 12,440 ft - basaltic pebbles and weathered and oxidized basalt. And at site C, in 12,313 ft of water - once again, basaltic pebbles and weathered and oxidized basalt. All of the above findings are strong indicators of a formerly emerged MAR. And they suggest that this volcanic terrain has sunk a minimum of 12,300 ft since being exposed to the atmosphere.

Note that Keith's Table 1 lists six additional MAR sampling sites to the south of those plotted on our Figure 6 and on down to the equator. Two of these sampling sites show ridge tops flattened by wave erosion, one site revealed Tertiary-age (2-65 Ma) shallow water sediment, and another site revealed Cretaceous-age (65-150 Ma) shallow water sediment. A final, rather startling finding at a depth greater than 9800 ft consists of canyons and a trellis drainage system, quite probably formed subaerially. Trellis drainage systems consist of parallel main streams with right-angle tributaries, and are typically found on land, in places such as the Appalachians. That MAR location is between 26º and 27ºN, to the south of the area covered in Figure 6. These additional observations indicate once again a formerly emergent area; that is, an area formerly above sea level.

 

Returning now to the NCGT paper, the authors have classified ancient and continental rocks from the Atlantic Ocean floor into the following four groups and subdivisions (Fig. 24).