Ice Age 3

​On the 17th day of Cheshvan, in the year 1656 from creation, the supercontinent Pangea began to split apart in multiple places. Large portions of it started drifting away from one another. After detaching from Africa, the Indian subcontinent collided with Asia. Meanwhile, the Americas also came into contact with Asia, but from the opposite side—where Alaska met Chukotka, the eastern end of Siberia. As the continents gradually slowed their movement, they began to fracture and fold, leading to the formation of towering mountain ranges. However, this tectonic activity likely continued for some time, perhaps even after the year of the Mabul.
In the early days of the Mabul, the gaps between the departing portions of Pangea were filled with water, creating the impression that the water was emerging from below rather than from above, as would soon be the case. As the oceanic water began to evaporate, the mix of steam and volcanic ash covered the sky, causing the planet to cool. Precipitation of unprecedented scale followed, with rivers of water falling from the sky, washing away much of the life in their path, and flowing toward lower elevations. The rapid movement of the continents caused oceanic water to overflow onto the landmasses, dumping vast layers of mud. Most of these mud layers solidified into rock due to the presence of cementing agents, while others, with lower cementing content, remained as sands or semi-solidified strata.

General overview of Grand Canyon - the greatest display of Floods deposits.

Sponge fossils in one of the top strata layers in the Canyon

​The deposits left behind were often distinct layers, each containing different ecosystems. In some places, these layers mixed sporadically. Rather than decomposing, many living organisms fossilized. Their cellular content was replaced with silica, leaving behind an abundance of fossils embedded in the rock layers. These "dead things" found within the rocks may very well serve as some of the most profound evidence of the global catastrophe that was the Mabul.

Mixed dinosaur bones chiseled out of the rock in Dinosaur National Monument.
Animals were ripped it to the parts when fossilization process began.

Author holding huge dinosaur bone. DNM CO UT

​Some creationists speculate that, as the continents drifted apart, they may have sunk into the Earth's mantle, allowing more sediment to accumulate on the surface of the continents. Indeed, in some areas, we find sedimentary layers several miles thick. However, it is also possible that many sedimentary deposits resulted from the creation process itself. When the original continent was formed by gathering material from the bottom of the ocean, which Earth was covered with in its early days, some of the mother rocks may have been crushed by the forces of water and other processes. It is, in my opinion, impossible to fully describe or even imagine these processes, as we must acknowledge that not only matter was being created, but also the very laws of nature that we observe today.

This chart shows the general agreement among geologists regarding strata designation and naming. The dates provided are based on the framework of evolutionary geology. Since the age of rocks is often determined by the "index fossils" they contain—fossils that are dated according to the evolutionary progression of life on Earth, as outlined by this widely accepted paradigm—the dates should be dismissed. It’s important to note that no column like this exists anywhere on Earth where the superposition of rocks can be observed continuously. Instead, this column is constructed from fragments of strata from various locations around the world. Nevertheless, creationists continue to use this nomenclature within their own paradigm. We hope to dedicate a special article to further analyze and discuss this column.

Inner Canyon is carved in to the Basement Rock mostly Granites and Shist. Outer canyon is made entirely from sedimentary rocks. Diagonal layers in Grand Canyon, may be result of Enosh Flood sedimentation. 

​Generally, Precambrian rocks are free of fossils, as these rocks were likely formed before life emerged on Earth. Following the so-called Cambrian explosion, we begin to see the fossilized remains of multiple ecosystems encased in rock. The impact of the Mabul during the time of Enosh, along with the erosion that occurred over the first 1,500 years, remains a topic for further research.
After 40 days of intense rainfall during the Mabul, the precipitation gradually slowed. However, the rain did not cease until the construction of the Mishkan, according to Baal HaTurim—nearly 800 years after the beginning of the Mabul. Parshas Vayekel (Exodus 35:1).
The continents continued to drift for another 110 to 160 days after the initial split, with new waves of mud covering the newly formed landmasses. The Earth's surface was wet and muddy. Only after more than a year did Noah and his family exit the Ark. As the mountains rose, massive amounts of water and unsolidified material washed down, carving valleys, canyons, and depositing new sediments—often consisting of more mixed materials than those originally deposited. We can observe such unsorted material in many valleys, including those in Utah, Nevada, and other regions, where further erosion has exposed these layers.

In Nevada's Valley of Fire, we can clearly observe solid deposits from the beginning of the Mabul, covered by a cap of conglomerate stone containing a mix of rocks, as they were washed down the valleys at the end of the Mabul year and possibly afterward.

The aftermath of this cataclysm lasted for centuries. In fact, many climatic changes recorded throughout history may have been the result of this total planetary remodeling. After the relative stabilization of the continents, when the Earth’s map resembled its current configuration, the cataclysm continued, but at a much slower pace.
The oceans were still warm, possibly covered with mats of organic material that may have aided the repopulation of the continents. Australia, in particular, likely benefitted, while other continents maintained some terrestrial connections. Thick clouds continued to shroud the sky due to the evaporation of the warm oceans, and volcanic ash further contributed to this cover. As a result, little solar energy penetrated the Earth's surface. However, life began to flourish again, especially near the oceans and large bodies of water trapped on the continents. Precipitation continued on a much larger scale than what we experience today.

This map shows confirmed lakes in western US but dated in Pleistocene, which is according to creationist framework time after Mabul. Some significant lakes are omitted on this map, like lakes responsible for the creation of the Grand Canyon. Placing them in Pleistocene would require to remake entire timeline of evolutionary geology. Once more our framework fits the puzzle in much more consistent way.

​As the oceans cooled due to the lack of warmth from the sun, regions farther from the water began to experience snowfall instead of rain. This snow accumulated over hundreds of years, compacting under its own weight to form ice. In some areas, evaporation outpaced precipitation, leading to the emptying of the Mediterranean basin.

Amazing rendition of possible low level of Mediterranean Sea. Perspective from Morocco with Atlas mountains in the right lower corner. Center left is Iberian peninsula connected with Balears Islands. Italy in right top corner with Alps to the top left. The great waterfall of Gibraltar in left bottom corner. Photo - Wikipedia.

The Ice Age had begun. While we may find some indications of its timing in Divrei Chazal, the evidence remains unclear. Midrash Rabbah suggests that each famine during the times of the Avos was a result of a major climate event. There are indications of human settlements in regions where the ice cap later formed, allowing for a few hundred years of development before the onset of the Ice Age. The Midrash also mentions the disappearance of over 20 nations due to floods and other catastrophes following the Tower of Babel, around the year 1996 from creation.
As the ice level rose on the continents, the ocean level dropped by approximately 400 feet, reconnecting many lands and islands to the continents and enabling migration of animals and people. One such major connection was Beringia, which was not a small bridge as often imagined, but rather a vast expanse of land between Alaska and Siberia.

Picture - NPS.org

In regions closer to the oceans, vegetation exploded, and fauna repopulated. Horses, camels, and giant sloths roamed the American continent, alongside bison, which survived the Ice Age. However, many species perished. Why did some species survive while others did not? I am not familiar with any plausible hypothesis for this, but rapid climate changes may have played a role. Entire herds of mammals, including potentially millions of mammoths, may have died from dust storms or been frozen alive while attempting to endure violent storms that swept across the tundra. Evidence supports this theory, with mammoths and other species found preserved in permafrost, some appearing as if they were awaiting discovery in a giant freezer. Mammoth tusks are still being commercially explored for ivory, which is highly valued for sculptural art.
Be'ezrat Hashem, we will continue exploring the further progression of the Mabul in the next installment of this topic.