The Record of Creation, Part 10
In our previous post we were considering the tremendous heat being generated by our new planet and how many of the base elements composing the early earth converted to vapor or gas would expand and rise into the newly forming atmosphere.
“A molten earth spinning on fixed axis would tend to bulge outward at the fastest moving portion, the equator, and to flatten the ends of the axis, the poles. The diameter of the equator is 7926.677 miles where the axis is 7899.988 miles, a difference of 26.689 miles. After the earth had solidified its crust, this spinning motion would not have had so much effect, so we are assured that the points of the axis were fixed while the earth was still molten, and since they are still in the center of the flattened areas, we are also assured that they have never been changed.
When the surface of the earth was molten, and that surface now generally lies many miles below the present surface, neither water nor any of the substances later added to earth’s crust were on that surface, and therefore must have been above the earth. The entire mass above the surface must have turned with the earth and at the same rate of rotation, just as the atmosphere of today. There are some scientists that claim that at that period the earth revolved at a much faster rate than at present, probably completing a revolution every 4 to 5 hours.
Most geologists are agreed that much of the material of the crust of the earth must have been in suspension in the atmosphere at the time of this igneous period. Some recent writers have ignored this logical conclusion and have all of earth’s materials including water out of the atmosphere at the beginning of this period. They explain that since the surface of the earth was so hot the water could not possibly have been there, it much have been inside the earth, for it certainly was somewhere (meteorites, comets and etc.?). But we will accept the more general view since it agrees with natural law. It is true that the water could not have remained on the surface, since had it fallen there it would have immediately been flung back into space as vapor, and taken with it any material soluble in water, it might have assimilated.
In canvassing the various estimates and appraisals of the depth of the vaporous canopy we find that a depth approximately 200,000 miles to be a general conception. Our own calculations based on present deposits and their respective gas expansions lead us to believe that it was somewhat under this figure. For our calculations let us take only half that amount. This would give us a diameter of twice 100,000 miles, plus the diameter of the earth, a total of 208,000 miles, or a circumference of 653,553.
At the equator then this circumference was traveling at a speed in excess of 27,000 miles per hour. But we have already noted that any mass traveling at 17,000 miles per hour would be free from gravity and over that speed would be thrown away from the earth moving outward until the centrifugal force and gravity were equal. (A point in space at which a particle experiences no net gravitational force. In theory, a unique neutral point would exist between any two static bodies. In practice, when two objects, such as Earth and the Moon are orbiting each other, there are five points, known as Lagrangian points, at which gravitational and centrifugal forces are exactly in balance.)
But it will be noted that this figure does not take into consideration one factor, namely that attraction lessens by the square of the distance, So that moving out from the earth’s surface the pull of gravity would lessen the farther out in space that matter would move. The farther away from earth’s surface any matter moved the greater would be the velocity of rotation, the greater the centrifugal force, and the less the pull of gravity.”
“The effect then upon a mass of vapors around a revolving earth would be to throw the outer vapors into rings above the equator and since the equatorial portion was moving out in space the polar portion would flow toward the unoccupied space to be in its turn thrown outward into the revolving belt or rings. This would be true of all the mass down to the point where gravity was equal to centrifugal force. Since centrifugal force lessens as we approach the poles such of the vapors as remained in canopy formation would approach the earth closer in Polar Regions, resulting in marked oblation that is a polar flattening of what otherwise would be a globular body. (This is somewhat noticeable in the picture below of the top of Saturn).”
The illustration below is what the earth may have resembled in this early period as it began to cool and liquid water began to collect upon its surface, of course this would not have been visible to the eye as this process would have been taking place beneath the canopy which shrouded the planet.
From the outside it is possible the early earth may have resembled Venus or possibly even Saturn that is had it had the time to fully develop. The atmospheric pressure and heat being generated beneath this canopy would most likely have been similar to that which Venus presently experiences.
Continued with next post.
P.S. keep in mind that in this study we are only attempting to harmonize science with the scriptures, much of which is speculative at best. We are merely trying to envision what may have taken place prior to the beginning of the Creative week as narrated in the Genesis account beginning at Verse 2 when the Lord began his work preparing the earth for the arrival of man. The scriptures are quite adamant that the "earth was" that is it existed prior to the first day of this creative week.
In our previous post we were considering the tremendous heat being generated by our new planet and how many of the base elements composing the early earth converted to vapor or gas would expand and rise into the newly forming atmosphere.
“A molten earth spinning on fixed axis would tend to bulge outward at the fastest moving portion, the equator, and to flatten the ends of the axis, the poles. The diameter of the equator is 7926.677 miles where the axis is 7899.988 miles, a difference of 26.689 miles. After the earth had solidified its crust, this spinning motion would not have had so much effect, so we are assured that the points of the axis were fixed while the earth was still molten, and since they are still in the center of the flattened areas, we are also assured that they have never been changed.
When the surface of the earth was molten, and that surface now generally lies many miles below the present surface, neither water nor any of the substances later added to earth’s crust were on that surface, and therefore must have been above the earth. The entire mass above the surface must have turned with the earth and at the same rate of rotation, just as the atmosphere of today. There are some scientists that claim that at that period the earth revolved at a much faster rate than at present, probably completing a revolution every 4 to 5 hours.
Most geologists are agreed that much of the material of the crust of the earth must have been in suspension in the atmosphere at the time of this igneous period. Some recent writers have ignored this logical conclusion and have all of earth’s materials including water out of the atmosphere at the beginning of this period. They explain that since the surface of the earth was so hot the water could not possibly have been there, it much have been inside the earth, for it certainly was somewhere (meteorites, comets and etc.?). But we will accept the more general view since it agrees with natural law. It is true that the water could not have remained on the surface, since had it fallen there it would have immediately been flung back into space as vapor, and taken with it any material soluble in water, it might have assimilated.
In canvassing the various estimates and appraisals of the depth of the vaporous canopy we find that a depth approximately 200,000 miles to be a general conception. Our own calculations based on present deposits and their respective gas expansions lead us to believe that it was somewhat under this figure. For our calculations let us take only half that amount. This would give us a diameter of twice 100,000 miles, plus the diameter of the earth, a total of 208,000 miles, or a circumference of 653,553.
At the equator then this circumference was traveling at a speed in excess of 27,000 miles per hour. But we have already noted that any mass traveling at 17,000 miles per hour would be free from gravity and over that speed would be thrown away from the earth moving outward until the centrifugal force and gravity were equal. (A point in space at which a particle experiences no net gravitational force. In theory, a unique neutral point would exist between any two static bodies. In practice, when two objects, such as Earth and the Moon are orbiting each other, there are five points, known as Lagrangian points, at which gravitational and centrifugal forces are exactly in balance.)
But it will be noted that this figure does not take into consideration one factor, namely that attraction lessens by the square of the distance, So that moving out from the earth’s surface the pull of gravity would lessen the farther out in space that matter would move. The farther away from earth’s surface any matter moved the greater would be the velocity of rotation, the greater the centrifugal force, and the less the pull of gravity.”
“The effect then upon a mass of vapors around a revolving earth would be to throw the outer vapors into rings above the equator and since the equatorial portion was moving out in space the polar portion would flow toward the unoccupied space to be in its turn thrown outward into the revolving belt or rings. This would be true of all the mass down to the point where gravity was equal to centrifugal force. Since centrifugal force lessens as we approach the poles such of the vapors as remained in canopy formation would approach the earth closer in Polar Regions, resulting in marked oblation that is a polar flattening of what otherwise would be a globular body. (This is somewhat noticeable in the picture below of the top of Saturn).”
The illustration below is what the earth may have resembled in this early period as it began to cool and liquid water began to collect upon its surface, of course this would not have been visible to the eye as this process would have been taking place beneath the canopy which shrouded the planet.
From the outside it is possible the early earth may have resembled Venus or possibly even Saturn that is had it had the time to fully develop. The atmospheric pressure and heat being generated beneath this canopy would most likely have been similar to that which Venus presently experiences.
Continued with next post.
P.S. keep in mind that in this study we are only attempting to harmonize science with the scriptures, much of which is speculative at best. We are merely trying to envision what may have taken place prior to the beginning of the Creative week as narrated in the Genesis account beginning at Verse 2 when the Lord began his work preparing the earth for the arrival of man. The scriptures are quite adamant that the "earth was" that is it existed prior to the first day of this creative week.