Canada's Fossil Forest
Axel Heiberg Island in Northern Canada is the closest point of land to the North Pole. The landscape is completely barren today but long ago a dense forest of large meta-sequoia trees grew there. At that time, the climate must have been like Florida today. The stumps of these “fossil trees” have not mineralized and are still wood, that is, cellulose. They are claimed to be 45 million years old.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University studied the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of the cellulose. These lightweight isotopes are normally quickly lost by evaporation from dead wood but to their surprise the researches discovered an unusually high content. This means that their rate of evaporation was extremely low. In other words, not only did the trees grow in a humid climate but this climate continued a long time after the trees were destroyed. Further, cellulose is quickly broken down by bacterial action if exposed to air so that the trees were buried rapidly, deeply and a lot more recently than 45 million years ago.
Creation Moments happened to be present when a sample of this wood was used to calibrate the equipment at a well-known Carbon 14 dating laboratory. Believing the wood to be 45 million years old it should contain no Carbon 14 but in fact it did and dated at only 41 thousand years!
Ecclesiastes 11:3
"If the clouds be full of rain, they empty themselves upon the earth; and if the tree fall toward the south or toward the north, in the place where the tree falleth, there it shall be.”
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, You have given us so much evidence for a recent creation and Your sustaining hand upon it. Please open the eyes of those who would willfully ignore these signs. In Jesus Name, Amen
Image: Looking out at Axel Heiberg Island 06, Matti & Keti, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons + Metasequoia occidentalis Mummified Forest of Axel Heiberg Island, Ansgar Walk, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons.
Mark Cadwallader: Is anything 45 million years old? Find out on today's Creation Moment.
And now, here's our Creation Moments host, Ian Taylor.
Ian Taylor: Axel Heiberg Island in northern Canada is the closest point of land to the North Pole. The landscape is completely barren today, but long ago a dense forest of large Metasequoia trees grew there. At that time, the climate must have been like Florida today.
The stumps of these fossil trees have not mineralized and are still wood, that is, cellulose, but they are claimed to be 45 million years old. Researchers at John Hopkins University studied the hydrogen and oxygen isotopes of the cellulose. These lightweight isotopes are normally quickly lost by evaporation from dead wood, but to their surprise the researchers discovered an unusually high content. This means that their rate of evaporation was extremely low.
In other words, not only did the trees grow in a humid climate, but this climate continued a long time after the trees were destroyed. Further, cellulose is quickly broken down by bacterial action if exposed to air, so that the trees must have been buried rapidly, deeply, and a lot more recently than 45 million years ago.
Creation Moments happened to be present when a sample of this wood was used to calibrate the equipment at a well-known carbon-14 dating laboratory. Believing the wood to be 45 million years old, it should contain no carbon-14, but in fact it did, and it dated at only 41,000 years.
Mark Cadwallader: If you'd like to read more about creation science and biblical worldview issues, visit creationmoments.com for weekly blog posts, articles, and answers to frequently asked questions, or call us toll-free at 1-800-42 Bible. That's 1-800-422-4253.
Featured Offer
This wonderful resource is perfect for kids, ages 8 and up. It’s the first of a series for young readers, adapted from Creation Moments’ radio broadcasts and Letting God Create Your Day: Vol. 1, written by Rev. Paul Bartz. Beautifully illustrated and intentionally crafted to reach your child with creation and gospel truth, awe and wonder, prayer and Scripture!
Featured Offer
This wonderful resource is perfect for kids, ages 8 and up. It’s the first of a series for young readers, adapted from Creation Moments’ radio broadcasts and Letting God Create Your Day: Vol. 1, written by Rev. Paul Bartz. Beautifully illustrated and intentionally crafted to reach your child with creation and gospel truth, awe and wonder, prayer and Scripture!
About Creation Moments
Founded in 1963, Creation Moments remains committed to building up the Church and enlightening the world to the wonders of God's creation. For more than sixty years, this ministry has proclaimed the truth of biblical creation and provided irrefutable evidence that the Bible can be trusted from the very first verse to the last. In addition to its international creation-evangelism and radio outreach, Creation Moments offers hundreds of free resources on the Bible and science at its website: CreationMoments.com.
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About Ian T. Taylor & Mark W. Cadwallader
Ian T. Taylor
For most people, Ian Taylor will always be the voice of Creation Moments. He was born in the UK and lived in Canada until his passing. We were honored and blessed to have such a wonderful and dedicated creationist as part our ministry for so many years. Even now, his radio broadcast programs endure to reach others with the message about the awesome and intricate creation of an awesome and loving God.
Mark W. Cadwallader
Mark is Board Chairman of Creation Moments and has served on the Board since 1996. He holds a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Houston and has worked as an applied materials scientist and engineer in plastics, specialty chemicals, oil additives, and pollution control for over 30 years. Mark credits the ministry for opening his faith as a young man to the unerring credibility of the Bible in all areas including science, and thus helping to transform his life. Mark has published over 100 articles and conference papers in his scientific field of expertise as well as in Creation Science and apologetics. He writes the Creation Moments monthly newsletter as well as most of the blog articles posted on the ministry’s website. He has also authored books, including “Creation Spelled Out for Us All” and “The Beauty of Truth”.
Contact Creation Moments with Ian T. Taylor & Mark W. Cadwallader
info@creationmoments.com
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Foley, MN 56329
800-422-4253
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