Geoscience Reports

July 1980 marked the beginning of a new phase in GRI history. Prior to this time, the two branches of the GRI operation were located on the Andrews University (Michigan) and Loma Linda University (California) campuses. At the March meeting of the GRI Board held at the General Conference headquarters in Washington, D.C., it was voted to consolidate both branches on the Loma Linda campus. Dominant reasons for moving to LLU were the potentially useful associations with the academic programs in Earth History, Geology, and Paleobiology. It was felt that closer contact with the students and staff in these disciplines would do much to broaden the informational base available to GRI, resulting in a stronger foundation from which GRI could serve the church's lay and academic communities.

The move also provides substantial cost savings with the combined operations. The extensive geological library at GRI will be incorporated into the holdings of the LLU general library. With these combined holdings, the research aspects of GRI will be markedly improved.

Staff members making the move to California were Drs. Robert H. Brown and Harold G. Coffin. Both arrived at LLU during the summer.

Temporary housing of the Institute offices is in Magan Hall, Suite B, on the Loma Linda campus. Future plans envision moving into a proposed science complex building on the La Sierra-campus.

Publication of Geoscience Reports marks a continuing developmental process for the GRI as it attempts to provide wider information base in the creation/evolution controversy. Written largely for the non-scientists in the Seventh-day Adventist Church, this newsletter will describe recent events of the Institute which have broader interest. It will include news of Institute programs, research projects, and the various educational workshops conducted. News from the Paleobiology and Biology groups of Loma Linda University as well as the scientific literature will be reported. It is hoped that the readership which includes science and religion teachers, pastors and administrators will benefit from increased awareness of issues in this critical area.

The annual meeting of the Biblical Research Institute Science Council (BRISCO) was held at the Seventh-day Adventist Media Center in Thousand Oaks, California, from June 17-19. BRISCO is a General Conference committee formed to study creation/ evolution problems as they affect the SDA Church. Organized in 1970, its mandate is to examine areas of tension between interpretations of Science and Religion. At this meeting of theologians and scientists, papers are presented with significant time allowed for discussion. Each year the conference meets in a locale of geological or scientific interest. Generally, one day is designated for field study, allowing the visiting personnel a first-hand view of the evidences from nature.

The field trip this year led to two significant geological sites. The Ventura Basin is the site of the first oil discovery in California. The rich oil-bearing layers even yet show places where oil is found seeping out of the ground. At times this petroleum ignites and burns underground, creating intense heat and causing the rock to change form. At one locality, within an area of 100 yards, one could see both the normal whitish rock of the formation and reddish portions of this same rock which had been heated from fires occurring in the ground sometime in the past. As participants of the field trip viewed this site, Ariel Roth read several E. G. White quotations (i.e., Patriarchs and Prophets, pp. 108-110) of ongoing fires in the earth. In years past, these quotations have been attributed to allusions of secular authors which had no factual basis.

A second stop was in the classical descriptive area for turbidite formation. Until recently, geologists believed that the sedimentary layers were laid down by a very slow silting process. A change in thinking of major proportions has taken place, and according to this new view, certain sedimentary layers are laid down in a few hours. This is caused by an underwater slumping of a bank and a resulting layer of material spreading rapidly over the ocean floor. A homey analogy would be the pouring of heavy syrup into water and seeing it spread over the bottom of a glass bowl. A slump containing 100 cubic kilometers (km = 0.6 miles) of material occurred in 1929 off the coast of Greenland, covering an area of 100,000 square miles in 13 hours. For a detailed account of this event see the article by Roth (1975) in Origins 2(2):106-107. (For those who do not subscribe to Origins, a copy of this article will be sent for {rte_contents_editor}.50). Some have now estimated that 40-50% of the sedimentary rock is of turbidite origin. This significant advance in geological understanding allows the creationist to better explain the layering in the earth with respect to a flood model.

Next year=s gathering is scheduled to be held near Mount St. Helens in the state of Washington. The plans, however, are still tentative and depend upon the activity of the mountain itself.

With the retirement of Dr. R. H. Brown on September 30, the directorship of GRI transferred to Dr. Ariel A. Roth. This action was formalized at the GRI Board meeting in Washington, D.C., in August 1980.

Roth comes to the directorship with a wealth of past experience. After obtaining his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 1955, he taught at Andrews University where in 1958 he became chairman of the Biology Department. In 1963 he assumed chairmanship of the newly developed graduate biology department at LLU. In 1971 he joined with GRI and in 1974 became the editor of Origins.

Although his original training is in parasitology, Roth has retrained extensively in geology at the Riverside campus of the University of California. His research interests have focused on coral reef formation in present and ancient times. Roth's publications include scientific and popular articles as well as the updated scientific section on the Genesis flood in the SDA Bible Commentary.

Born in Switzerland, Roth emigrated to the U.S. in his teens. Conversant in French and German, he brings to the GRI a rich background which will do much to strengthen the operation of GRI.

"Creation by God" will not be taught in the science classrooms of Georgia's public schools this year, but the battle for its inclusion was fought until the closing minutes of the 1980 legislative session. The passage of Georgia House Bill 690 would have mandated the "teaching and presentation of creation by God" as an alternative view of origins.

To some extent creationist ideas have already won official acceptance in Georgia. Creationist textbooks were included among those approved by the State Department of Education, and thirteen counties (including two of the largest public school systems in Georgia) endorsed a balanced, two-model approach to origins.

H.B. 690 received impressive support from the State Parent Teacher Association and the Georgia Baptist Convention, along with such individuals as the Chief judge of the Georgia Court of Appeals, Braswell D. Deen, Jr. As the publicity increased, the American Atheists Association opened an Atlanta chapter to counteract the rising popularity of H.B. 690. Further opposition came from the State Department of Education, the State Board of Education, and the Georgia Education Association.

A compromise version of H.B. 690 was approved by the Senate on the last day of the 1980 legislative session, but the House adjourned before a final vote could be taken. Supporters of the two-model approach to origins believe that passage of similar legislation can occur next year.

Harold Coffin will spend the winter quarter at Andrews University where, for more than 10 years, he has taught a course in science and religion for seminary students. This collaboration between Andrews and GRI provides these students with an opportunity to examine the problems that occur between the Genesis account of creation and current scientific investigation. While the majority of scientific results are interpreted by an evolutionary model, Coffin's course attempts to show alternative interpretations of these data that are more in harmony with the biblical record. In addition to his teaching,Coffin will be completing a revision of his book, Creation ï¿1⁄2 Accident or Design?

Recognizing the increased need for discussion in the creation/ evolution controversy, the Far Eastern Division invited R.H. Brown to visit its schools of higher education. Traveling to Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and Singapore, Brown conferred with science and religion teachers as well as students. Lectures, both technical and philosophical, were presented with, time for questions and further discussions. Upon his return in November, Brown spoke strongly of the need for creation material that is written in the national languages. In previous years, similar conferences were conducted by Harold Coffin.

The research program to be carried out by Tkachuck will center on the mechanism of speciation. It will attempt to determine how much change is possible in a life form and how rapidly the change can take place. Current scientific thought says that a period of up to 100,000 years may be necessary for a new species to form. This time period obviously presents significant problems for a creationist.

Tkachuck's background includes an M.A. in Biology from LLU, a Ph.D. from UCLA, Notre Dame University, and the Univeristy of Iowa. While at Iowa he stepped out of science for three years to develop a secular campus ministry program. From Iowa he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, where at Union College he was the campus chaplain. The following year he was chairman of Union's Science Division. This past year he has taught in the Biology department on the La Sierra campus of LLU. A summary of his research interests and ideas will appear in a later issue of Geoscience Reports.

Tkachuck is married and has two children, ages 9 and 10.

Research grants up to several thousand dollars are available from the Geoscience Research Institute on a competitive basis. Each year, the GRI sponsors study by qualified individuals outside the Institute. Research topics must have a direct bearing on some problem in the creation/ evolution controversy. Proposals for philosophical, biblical hermeneutics, or scientific work are equally acceptable.

• WHO CAN APPLY: Any person with a serious interest in the above-mentioned area. Graduate or undergraduate students must be sponsored by a faculty member from their academic institution.
• HOW TO APPLY: Proposals submitted should contain background information (including previous related research procedure, academic training and experience of the investigator), a statement of the problem to be studied, a review of the relevant literature, the method for examination of the topic, an estimate of the time required for completion of the project, and a budget sheet defending proposed costs (GRI grants do not pay institutional overhead charges).
• WHEN TO APPLY: Application must be postmarked by April 1, 1981 and sent to Dr. A. A. Roth at the GRI. Award results will be made known by June 1, 1981.

A paper entitled ''Field and Laboratory Studies on the Coconino Sandstone (Permian) Vertebrate Footprints and their Paleoecological Implications" by Leonard Brand was recently published in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 28:25-38 (1979). Brand, who is chairman of Biology at LLU, received his M.A. in Biology from LLU and a Ph.D. from Cornell University with specialization in vertebrate zoology. For some time he has been studying fossil animal footprints in the Coconino Sandstone of the Grand Canyon area. The majority of current geological thinking interprets this formation as being a windblown sand dune deposit. Brand postulated that the tracks were formed while the sand was underwater. Using a large tank filled with sand under various conditions in the laboratory, Brand tested amphibians and reptiles to see what kind of tracks were made. A close correspondence between the track made in the underwater tests and fossil footprints was found, leading Brand to suggest underwater deposition of this formation. Response from several scientists in different parts of the world has been favorable. One suggested that similar deposits in Europe, with the same type of footprints, may also be water formed.

This paper has also been chosen to be included in a volume on terrestrial trace fossils in the series Benchmarh Papers in Geology.

Science teachers from academies in the North American Division will meet at Mt. Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Montana, July 30 to August 15. The purpose of the conference is to acquaint the participants with recent scientific findings which relate to the creation/ evolution controversy. Because of the heavy emphasis on evolution in many high-school textbooks, the Education Department of the General Conference requested that GRI provide opportunity to help these teachers better meet the questions of their students. Participating will be the GRI staff, members of the Biology and Paleobiology staff of LLU, General Conference administrators, and other professionals.

Field trips are planned to give participants first-hand acquaintance with field data. Displays of teaching aids, films and other classroom helps will also be available.

With the impact of evolution being felt in most areas of life, it is significant to know that teachers reaching Adventist youth will be better prepared to meet this challenge.

Each year the Geological Society of America (GSA) holds an annual meeting for professionals in geology and earth history. Several years ago, it became apparent that a number of SDA geologists attended regularly. What started as an informal gathering of SDA scholars during GSA has now expanded to an organized pre-meeting in which this group can present research findings and discuss philosophical issues. This year, the GSA was in Atlanta; so it seemed natural to hold the pre-GSA at Southern Missionary College in Tennessee. The program was organized by Ed Hare of the Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institute, and Ron Carter from SMC's Biology Department.

Papers presented covered such topics as cosmology and the Big Bang, biblical interpretations of Genesis and the Psalms, and several papers of geological interest. On Sunday, a field trip showing local geologic features was led by Merlyn Nestell from the University of Texas. Next year, GSA will be held in Cincinnati, Ohio.

For several years, GRI has sponsored a seminar on the Loma Linda campus during each quarter of the normal academic year. A wide variety of topics has been presented in areas of geology, physics, biology, and philosophy. Seminar speakers include students and professors from LLU, visiting scholars, and the GRI staff. A popular forum for the discussion of ideas, the seminar is also well attended by those whose major interests are in other areas.

Listed below is a brief summary of speakers and topics.

• Dwight Hornbacher, LLU graduate student, spoke of his research during the past summer in Utah which tends to negate time in the geologic column.
• Mike Rasmussen, LLU graduate student, discussed large and unusual trace fossils found in Permian rocks in the western United States.
• Karen Jensen, LLU graduate student, reviewed the palynological (fossil pollen) conferences she attended in England last summer.
• [HPB], Assistant Professor of Geology at LLU, proposed a model for formation of the Green River Shale in Wyoming.
• Edwin Karlow, Chairman of the Physics Department at La Sierra, discussed the philosophical implications of choosing different interpretations of historical time.
• Ariel A. Roth reported on the 26th International Geological Congress in Paris and some of his field work in the Swiss Alps.
• Harold Coffin spoke of his recent trip to Mount St. Helens.
• Ivan Rouse, Associate Professor of Physics at La Sierra, spoke on fission-track dating methods.
• Douglas Eddleman, Associate Chairman of Biology at La Sierra, gave several examples of rapid speciation taking place in historical times.
• Roy Jensen, LLU graduate student, presented evidence showing that the Arctic had a much warmer climate in the past.

Some of the speakers are preparing manuscripts of their presentations for publication in Origins.The seminars, held each Tuesday noon during the academic year, are open to all who wish to attend

Ariel A. Roth, Director of GRI, spent two months this past summer in Europe preparing for a geological field conference to be held during the summer of 1981 for the Northern Europe Division of SDAs. Previous field conferences sponsored by the GRI have been held for General Conference administrators and SDA religion and science teachers. The '81 conference will represent the first time such a field school has been held outside North America. This demonstrates a concern by General Conference administrators that the world field be kept up to date with issues in the creation/evolution controversy. Part of Roth's itinerary included participation in a field conference sponsored by the 26th International Geological Congress in Paris. After the meetings, he continued with an independent study in the eastern Alps.

Because an Adventist college and university system is not as extensive in Europe, a majority of students seeking higher degrees must attend secular universities. This does not allow the student to receive a balanced picture concerning origins. Thus the European field conference will be an attempt to upgrade the information and understanding of creation science among the SDA science and theology personnel in Europe.

A particularly exciting feature of Roth's study is the fact that a significant portion of our understanding of geologic phenomena has its roots in this area of Europe. A more detailed report of Roth's tour will appear in next issue of Geoscience Reports.

Editor's Note: Two letters appear on the final page of this newsletter. They are printed to help the reader further appreciate the limitations of science. It is widely believed that science can prove or disprove almost anything. In his reply to the student's question, Brand gives evidence that science can do little more than provide supportive evidence for historical events.

As a senior in Geology, I'm taking a stratigraphy and sedimentation course. As a Christian who believes in Christ as Lord and the authority of the Scriptures including the Noachian Flood, I desire to be "salt" to my fellow students by presenting a flood origin for the Navajo Sandstones. Our class will debate the eolian vs. shallow marine origin. Hopefully I can present a third--Noachian Flood origin.

If you can help me in any way it would be greatly appreciated.

In His Service.

There are several important points to consider in deciding what approach to take on this topic. We wish you God's guidance and blessing as you try to open the eyes of your colleagues to see that traditional geologic theories are not the only reasonable possibilities.

As we consider the evidence, and try to work out geological flood models, I feel that it is important to analyze carefully what that evidence says, and what it does not say. For example, let us look at the Navajo Sandstone, and try to decide what kind of evidence would tell us if it was a flood deposit. It is often helpful to begin by trying to think of all of the possible models, or theories, that could perhaps explain a particular phenomenon. Here are several possible models for the Navajo Sandstone:

1. Deposited over hundreds or thousands of years in a normal desert environment.
2. Deposited rapidly by wind during a period of unusually persistent high winds, but otherwise not in a catastrophic setting.
3. Much of the geologic column was deposited rapidly and catastrophically, and the Navajo Sandstone was one formation that was deposited rapidly by wind. However, God was not necessarily involved, and this rapid deposition had nothing to do with Noah's flood.
4. Deposited very rapidly by wind, during the latter part of the Noachian flood, during a period of lowered water level and persistent high winds.
5. Deposited over hundreds or thousands of years by water, as the water slowly or periodically carried sand into the area.
6. Deposited rapidly in an area with persistent relatively rapid water currents and a plentiful sand supply. Otherwise not in a geologic setting that was especially catastrophic.
7. Much of the geologic column was deposited rapidly and catastrophically, and the Navajo Sandstone was one formation that was deposited rapidly by water. However, God was not necessarily involved, and this rapid deposition had nothing to do with Noah's flood.
8. Deposited rapidly underwater, by the persistent water currents during the Noachian flood. The sand-sized particles were not necessarily produced during the flood, but came from extensive beds of sand that were part of the pre-flood world, and were transported into their new location during the flood.

Some of us are convinced, because of our confidence in Scripture, that the correct model is either #4 or #8, and #8 seems more likely than #4. (However, we cannot rule out #4 without adequate evidence, since we don't know what all was going on during the flood.) This belief can serve as a stimulus for successful research efforts, such as the study on fossil footprints in the Coconino Sandstone.

When we try to communicate to others our reasons for believing in model #8, it is important to be very careful, or we get ourselves into trouble. If we can produce compelling evidence that the Navajo Sandstone was deposited underwater, is that evidence for the flood? Not really, because that evidence could also be explained equally well by models #5, 6 or 7. Evidence that can be explained by two or more models cannot properly be used as evidence for any one of those models. If it fits two models equally well, it cannot tell us which model is correct. We have to have evidence that fits one model, and contradicts the other model.

Now, what if we find evidence that indicates that the Navajo was deposited underwater and was deposited very rapidly? What does that tell us? That evidence would eliminate models #1-5, but it would still be consistent with models #6-8. We still have not shown that it was part of Noah's flood. If we then find convincing evidence that much of the rest of the geologic column was also deposited catastrophically, we would have to come down to models #7 and #8. What scientific evidence would tell us which of these two models is correct? Many scientists will say quite dogmatically that science has eliminated #8, but others recognize that science has not, and in fact never can demonstrate that God was not involved in influencing earth history. Science also can never demonstrate that God was involved in influencing earth history. The choice between models #7 and 8, or between models #3 and 4 will always be a matter of faith. My work on footprints, or other evidence that we can gather can never properly be used as proof of Noah's flood, because all it can do is help us choose between models of slow deposition over eons of time, or catastrophic models with rapid deposition.

Taking all of this into consideration, I would like to suggest an approach that you might take, if it seems reasonable to you. To directly propose model #8, deposition of the Navajo Sandstone in the Noachian flood, could only be supported on religious grounds, and would arouse so much prejudice from many science teachers that it would be difficult to carry on a constructive discussion of this issue. This direct approach may seem appealing, but in many cases it does not have a beneficial effect in the long run. I suggest that it is better to find as much evidence as you can find in the literature for water deposition, and/or rapid deposition of the Navajo Sandstone ï¿1⁄2 anything that raises questions about the traditional model (e.g., why are there no fossils in the Navajo Sandstone and many similar sandstones, except footprints?). Then perhaps briefly discuss the general trend to catastrophic explanations in geology, and then propose a model of rapid accumulation of the Navajo Sandstone underwater and suggest some types of research that could help to test your model. This approach will show that you are interested in using science to evaluate various hypotheses. If the question then comes up whether your model has any relation to the book of Genesis, you do not need to be afraid to answer.

Also, if in discussing this with individuals or groups, we sense that there is an openness to new ideas, we can be more bold in suggesting the type of rapid geological action implied in the Biblical flood story as a reasonable explanation for some of the geological data. I find this indirect approach often more beneficial than a direct presentation of flood geology in a crowd where the discussion is apt to be dominated by the strong prejudices of a few. Of course, this would not apply to a gathering of Christians, or a situation where it is expected that Creation or the flood will be discussed.

Work on Fossil Forest Continues

The summer of 1980 presented further opportunity for Harold Coffin to continue his studies of the Yellowstone Fossil Forest. Coffin, a member of GRI since1964, has devoted much effort to examining this geological problem. The fossil forest is a series of successive layers of upright trees imbedded in volcanic material. If one does a tree-ring count of the largest trees in each layer, an apparent age of over 16,000 years is determined. This area has been cited by some to show that a short chronology for the time after the flood is not tenable. Coffin in examining this area has provided other explanations that are more acceptable with a short time span. For a review of previous findings, see his articles in Spectrum 9(4):42-53 (1979) and Origins 6(2):71-82 (1979).

The data collected this summer in collaboration with Mike Arct and Arthur Chadwick, both of Loma Linda University, support an allochthonous (drift) origin of these trees.

In their examination of the rings of several hundred trees, apparent agreement of growth ring patterns in successive layers has been found. These data, if substantiated by further research, strongly suggest that the successive forest growth model may be inadequate, and a more rapid depositional model as Coffin postulates may be indicated.

Coffin is presently preparing a symposium volume in which he hopes to synthesize the known data of this forest into a consistent pattern.

Geoscience Reports - Winter 1981, No. 1

Editor --- Richard D. Tkachuck
Associate Editor --- Katherine Ching

Subscription requests, correspondence, and notices of change of address should be sent to: Geoscience Reports, Geoscience Research Institute, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350.

Geoscience Reports is a newsletter published by the Geoscience Research Institute to present current happenings at the Institute as well as notes of general interest which deal with creation/ evolution issues. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Institute.

Geoscience Reports

The summer of 1981 marked a second phase of the international work of the Geoscience Research Institute. Though GRI efforts have always been for the world field (seven overseas lecture tours, extension classes and creation courses have been conducted since 1965), intensive personal contact with the entire GRI team at seminars, workshops and field conferences has been limited largely to those in North America. Thus this past summer's field conference in Europe for the Northern European Division (NED) displayed an expanding role for the Institute.

The invitation to hold a field conference or teachers, pastors and administrators of the NED was given by Elder Walter Scragg, president of the division. The 50 participants represented over 14 countries. GRI staff members (Drs. Roth, Brown, Coffin and Tkachuck) as well as Dr. Leonard Brand, Chairman of Biology at Loma Linda University, provided lectures in areas of geology, radiometric dating, paleontology, and speciation. Elder Paul Gordon from the E. G. White Estate also presented materials on the nature of inspiration of the biblical record and the writings of Ellen White.

The meetings began at Seminar Schloss Bogenhofen in Austria. In this quiet setting the introductory lectures provided a review of geology and an introduction to the structure of the magnificent and beautiful Austrian and Swiss Alps. Roth, who had spent part of the previous summer in Europe doing preparatory field work, presented evidence indicating tremendous uplift and movement of sedimentary and granitic rock over large distances in the Alps. The Alps are one of the most difficult and challenging geologic areas to explain, which causes some stress to the neophite but also emphasizes the tremendous forces at work within the earth. A field trip through parts of the Austrian Alps gave firsthand experience to these facts.

After the short stay at Bogenhofen the group toured by bus through Switzerland to Seminare Adventiste du Saleve in Collonges, France. Several sites were visited along the way which displayed geologic features as well as evidences of a violent past.

A stop at Zug, Switzerland illustrated the fact that some geologic events can occur quite rapidly. In the last century workmen were making a bank along the lake where the town is located. As work progressed, residents of some of the homes began to complain of flooding in their cellars. Before the problem was corrected, the bank gave way and a number of homes were washed into the lake in a large turbidity type of current. A few hours later a second similar flow broke free. This well-documented phenomenon displayed a widespread layer of sediment far into the lake. Not until the mid-1950s was it realized that such turbidity currents may be responsible for a significant portion of the geologic column.

At Collonges, lectures were directed to more specific topics such as reef formation, biblical chronology, vertebrate fossil record, speciation, biogeography, fossil forests etc. The GRI staff especially enjoyed the active interchange with the field conference participants.

The highlight of the two-week seminar came at the conclusion with an extended field trip to Zermatt, site of the Matterhorn. In this area many significant geologic features can be seen. After taking a cog-rail train to the top of Gornergrat, the group was able to observe clear evidences of massive movement and collisions of huge land masses, the effects of glacial action and the results of erosion. A walk to the glacier below gave close-up views of an active glacier at work.

In retrospect the GRI staff members were greatly encouraged by the aggressive attitudes displayed by the group towards learning new and sometimes difficult concepts.

A chance encounter with Origins by two students from the Netherlands provided the stimulus for an exciting interchange. Tom Zoutewelle and Arjen van der Wolf, graduate students at the University of Utrecht, wanted to learn the state of creationism in America. Members of a conservative Protestant church, they are themselves creationists. With the approval of their major professor they were allowed to examine creationistic evidence as part of their course of study. For nearly four weeks they were on the Loma Linda campus talking with members of the LLU geology and biology programs and the GRI staff. A trip to the bottom of the Grand Canyon led by Arthur Chadwick (Biology department) was a highlight. The two men stayed in the homes of LLU faculty and GRI staff members. This arrangement gave much time for dialog. The friendships forged will do much to aid people on both sides of the Atlantic in their study of creationism.

The western United States will serve as a classroom locality for the course Paleontological Interpretations. The course will be offered through Loma Linda University and is scheduled for August 23 to September 19, 1982.

A few lectures will be given at Loma Linda but most of the course time will be spent at field localities of paleontological and geological interest. These include: the Permian "reef" of the Carlsbad Caverns area, the fossil forest and clastic features of the Front Range of the Rockies, the Yellowstone fossil forest, the Green River basin Dinosaur National Monument, coal deposits of the Price, Utah area, Monument Valley, features related to the formation of the Grand Canyon, as well as a number of paleontological and sedimentary features found around the Bryce and Zion National Parks areas. The trek will follow in general the localities visited by several of the Geoscience Field Conferences held in previous years.

Several individuals will participate in the instruction of the course which is designed for advanced science students. A very limited number of visitors will be allowed to accompany the group. Interested persons should contact: Ariel A. Roth, Geoscience Research Institute, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, California 92350.

I have just read the first issue of Geoscience Reports. I appreciate the recent news of changes at the GRI. Furthermore, I enjoyed reading Brand's reply to the anonymous student's letter.

This newsletter is a welcomed addition to Origins in keeping us informed of events and issues related to the scientific study of creationism.

Thank you for this service.

Joseph G. Galusha
Chairman, Department of Biological Sciences
Walla Walla College

Please accept my congratulations on the appearance of Geoscience Reports. I found it full of interest and predict that it will do good things for the visibility and reputation of the Geoscience Research Institute.

Maurice Hodgen
Dean, Graduate School
Loma Linda University

I just wanted to let you know how interested I was in your newsletter Geoscience Reports which arrived yesterday. For many years I have followed with interest, though afar off, the activities of the Geoscience Research Institute. I feel that this newsletter will help those of us who are interested in this aspect of the church's research. I found Dr. Brand's article "Proof or Evidence?" most enlightening as a way to approach a particular situation and seek to provide a scientific answer to a particular problem.

Walter R.L. Scragg
President, Northern European Division of SDA
St. Albans, Herts., ENGLAND

Errata
Because of the omission of a line in the article in our last issue concerning Richard Tkachuck, it appeared that R. Tkachuck had three doctorates. Even though he wishes this were true, it is not. Only one was received ï¿1⁄2 from UCLA, while five years of postdoctoral research were spent at Notre Dame and the University of Iowa.

Roth Speaks at Pacific Union Constituency
Ten models for origins [published in ORIGINS 7 (2):71-86 (1980)] were presented by A.A. Roth at the Pacific Union Conference Constituency. The gathering, which is mainly for the transaction of Union Conference business, also provides an opportunity for ministers and teachers to upgrade their skills by attending seminars conducted by a variety of specialists. Two identical sessions on the models of origins were given to approximately 120 individuals. The seminar was marked by vigorous participation of the attendees. The intense interest in the problem of origins is probably the result of increased tension in the constituent's area of work, especially problems with interpreting inspiration in the context of modern scholarship. Roth believes the future will require more such seminars as these to fill the growing demand for information. While some recent interpretations in science are contrary to the biblical record, a significant number of new interpretations support it.

Genesis and Geology is the title of a booklet published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association. This reprint of two chapters from the revised Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary contains much information which will aid the creationist in understanding the issues involved in the study of origins. It can also serve as a reference for non-creationists who wish to understand the creationist position.

Written for the non-specialist, it covers topics such as the various theories of origins, the biochemical origin of life, problems in the fossil record, support for creation from the complexity of life, questions about radiometric dating, and how to look at both the Scriptures and science.

A second section deals with the nature of the geologic record, geology and the flood, and areas of agreement and disagreement Several flood models are discussed.

As an introduction to the creationist point of view, this booklet would be hard to beat. The cost is about , and copies can be obtained from the Review and Herald offices (Review and Herald Publishing Association, 6856 Eastern Avenue NW, Washington DC) or from a local Adventist Book Center.

When carbon-14 analysis was performed on a layer of bat guano in New Cave, New Mexico, it gave an infinite age. This finding brought into question the validity of biblical chronology. The conflict stimulated further study by R.H. Brown. The situation in New Cave presents some interesting problems. The modern discoverers of this cave found what appeared to be bat guano under the flowstone floor. First impressions in attempting to reconstruct the situation would lead one to conclude that the original cave floor was covered with bat guano to depths up to as great as over 20 feet; then a new floor was created when dissolved limestone leached out and covered this deposit with cap rock and speleothems. As mentioned above, the first samples that were analyzed 27 years ago showed undetectable carbon-14 activity. Supposed guano samples recently collected by Brown yielded a surprising result when examined for organic content and 13C/12C ratio. The material under the cap rock is not guano at all, but sediment that appears to have been deposited by washing and settling before being covered by cap rock.

What appeared to present a unique problem for a short-chronology model for the history of organisms now appears to have a resolution on the basis of additional evidence.

In the public arena the interest in creation/evolution controversies waxes and wanes. The most celebrated confrontation occurred early in this century at the famous "Monkey Trial" in which the defendant John Scopes was tried for teaching evolution in a Tennessee high school. Defending creation was the well-known orator William Jennings Bryan, while Scopes' attorney was Clarence Darrow, the brilliant criminal lawyer. Even though Scopes was convicted (later reversed on technical grounds), the scorn and ridicule that attended the trial did much to force the creation movement underground, while the evolutionary ideas assumed a quiet dominance. There the situation remained until the early sixties when the conflict reappeared.

When the Sputnik launching caused fears that the Russians were academically and technically ahead of the United States, the U.S. government was forced to look at the science education programs in this country. Textbooks were examined and rewritten. In the biological series the rewriting updated the scientific material, stressing inquiry and the experimental approach to the science. In addition, other areas were emphasized, including sex education, anthropology, and evolution. Many parents who viewed these changes became alarmed when they realized that current educational philosophies were counter to ideas being taught at home. Although the anthropology question was not attacked until later, the areas of sex education and evolution stimulated much controversy.

The conflict over evolution extended over several years and finally entered the higher levels of state government. At issue were the dogmatic statements that evolution is a fact. The conflict came to a head in 1972 with a ruling in California that evolution must be presented as a theory. Even though this ruling was made at the state level, it had a much wider impact. Textbook publishers realized that if they were to be competitive in the lucrative California market (the largest school system in the US), they would have to modify their texts. This they did, and while these changes rippled through the entire country, the creation/ evolution debate was temporarily subdued. The problem simmered vigorously on the back burner until about two years ago. Perhaps caused by, but surely coincident with, the conservative mood in the country, parents began questioning again the education and philosophies their children were receiving. Concomitant with this was an erosion of response to the 1972 California ruling, with evolution again presented in public schools as unassailable fact.

One concerned Californian, Kelly L. Segraves, sued the State on the behalf of his children. The case which was billed in the press as a Scopes II trial did not develop quite that way. To avoid a trial based upon the scientific merits of each side, the lines of argument were narrowly drawn. The first question at issue was, Does the teaching of only one theory of origins - evolution - constitute a violation of a child's freedom of religion? The U.S. Constitution requires that religion as indoctrination be banned from public schools, but it also states that the government must protect the free exercise of religion. Segraves contends that his children's rights were not being protected. The second question asked whether the 1972 guidelines had been enforced.

Prior to the narrow drawing of the legal issues, both sides presented the court with a list of expert witnesses who would defend their respective positions. The witnesses for the State (evolutionary) side included a Nobel laureate and the popular Carl Sagan of the Cosmos series on public television. Also included in the State's list were several theologians who were expected to testify that the biblical account was only myth and not reality.

Depositions were taken and presented to the court. A.A. Roth, GRI director, was to have been called to witness for the plaintiffs.

Judge Irving Perluss gave a split decision. On one hand, he ruled that the children's rights were not violated by the sole teaching of evolution, and yet he also ruled that the 1972 textbook decision must be upheld. Thus evolution must be taught as only a theory and not as a fact.

Textbook publishers are responding to such legal decisions by significantly decreasing the amount of evolutionary theory presented within their texts.

A more recent opportunity for the GRI to participate in public forum occurred when A.A. Roth was invited to give the keynote address at the Oregon House Education Committee hearing on House Bill 2633. Sponsored by Drew Davis and others of the Oregon House of Representatives, this bill attempted to expand the teaching of origins to include special creation as an alternative to evolution. At the hearing, speakers for creation and evolution presented their views. Some were thoughtful; others emotional. Roth testified that science should allow the free examination of all the issues, and that to limit alternatives is to limit truth. The hearing, which was televised, also drew a local audience of over 400 ï¿1⁄2 the largest ever noted in that legislative session up to that time.

Legislative actions such as the above have seldom aided the creationist cause. Most are struck down by the courts as infringing on the principle of church/state separation. The dilemma is a real one. It appears a fine line to tread. If one expresses the opinion that the earth may have been created by God, does this constitute a religious statement? The courts have mostly ruled yes.

The scientific community until recently has viewed this revival of creationism as a troublesome insect to be swatted away; a nuisance, but of no lasting harm. This position has dramatically changed within the past year. Scarcely an issue of Nature or Science goes by without a letter to the editor, a news note, or some commentary on the rise of creationism. Popular articles denouncing creationism have appeared in such journals as Science 81 and Discover. The threat posed by the creationist philosophy is also being felt in the editorials of several geological journals. Even the weekly news magazines have had features. Rumors are rampant. Some say that if government funds are given for evolutionary research, equal funds for creation research must be provided. The situation is presently confused by the hue and cry from both sides.

This controversy is fascinating to follow. Using Revelation 14:7 (where God asks men to worship Him as creator) as a major statement concerning the end time, some view the present conflict with great interest. Whether this will be a cyclic phenomena is too early to tell. Roth, in musing over the recent controversies, stated that there have always been cycles of interest, but the intensity of the present situation is greater than any previous one.

The GRI funded seven research grants for the year 1981. Total grant awards amounted to ,000. A listing below shows a wide diversity of research areas.

HPB
Vertical and lateral radiometric date trends in Fossil Butte of Green River Shale
K. Nick and HPB

Depositional rates and environments in Stewart Valley, Nevada
M. Arct and A.V. Chadwick

Tree ring sequence in Yellowstone Fossil Forest
G. R. Tatum and R. D. Tkachuck

Temperature program for HPLC amino acid analyzer
A.V. Chadwick and S. Barnett

Stratigraphy of the Kentucky No. 12 coal
L. Brand

Vertebrate taphonomy
J. F. Stout

With the exception of Dr. J. F. Stout of Andrews University, all the applicants were from Loma Linda University. This represents an application bias and not a granting one, as no applications from other institutions were received. It is strongly hoped that interested persons at other institutions will apply for the upcoming granting period. For more information, see below.

Research grants up to several thousand dollars are available from the Geoscience Research Institute on a competitive basis. Each year, the GRI sponsors study by qualified individuals outside the Institute. Research topics must have a direct bearing on some problem in the creation/evolution controversy. Proposals for philosophical, biblical hermeneutics, or scientific work are equally acceptable.

Sponsorship may involve assistance with the costs of conceptual development, literature search, laboratory investigation, field studies, and publication. Awards are made by the GRI Board of the basis of recommendations from review committees that have been selected for technical competence.

* WHO CAN APPLY: Any qualified person with a serious interest in the above-mentioned area. Graduate or undergraduate students. must be sponsored by a faculty member from their academic institution.

1. an abstract or summary of the proposal
2. a statement of the problem to be examined
3. a pertinent literature review
4. proposed research and data evaluation
5. an estimate of the time required to complete the project
6. a budget sheet defending proposed costs (GRI grants do not pay institutional overhead charges)
7. a statement of the previous experience and academic training relevant to the proposed work
8. a listing of all other research projects of the applicant for which funds have been applied for or provided.

* WHEN TO APPLY: Applications must be postmarked by March 1 or November 1, 1982, and sent to Dr. A. A. Roth at the GRI. Award results will be made known by June 1, 1982, or February 1, 1983

The GRI is planning a conference on origins for Adventist university students attending secular campuses. Names and addresses of graduate and undergraduate students studying in the areas of geology and biology are desired. If you know of such, please contact us at GRI with the above information so that we may get in touch with them.

Send information to:

Richard Tkachuck

Geoscience Research Institute
Loma Linda University
Loma Linda, CA 92350

A picture may be worth a thousand words, but personal observation must be worth at least a thousand pictures. Such were the sentiments of many members of BRISCO as they flew over the devastated area caused by the eruption of Mt. St. Helens. BRISCO (Biblical Research Institute, Science Council) is a study group that meets yearly to present papers dealing with problems in science and biblical interpretations as they relate to origins. Because the meeting site is chosen for geologic interest, Mt. St. Helens, with its recent eruption, was an obvious choice.

As the small Cessnas bumped their way over the edge of the crater, one could see an ugly mass that had grown at its floor. One tends to use emotional words when describing the site, but "huge," "fantastic," "incredible" and many other words failed to describe the enormity of the site. The blowdown area revealed what seemed an orderly array of matchsticks all nicely arranged in linear patterns. It was difficult to realize that these were mature trees which were knocked over in an instant with the shockwave. Observations from the air as well as a drive along the Tuttle River revealed the large amount of debris that flowed to the sea. Mud marks several times higher than a car along the side of the road were silent reminders of the enormous amount of material that flowed by. Destroyed homes and personal property were also seen. All reminded the observers of the tremendous power in nature.

Between visits to the devastated area, the BRISCO participants heard papers on a variety of subjects ranging from biblical hermeneutics and archaeology to problems in speciation and the geologic record.

Comments on papers provided an opportunity for the various authors to have their positions critically examined. Some presentations sought advice on research methods and directions. Other papers were continuations of studies started in previous years.

Eventually, the material will surface in publications within the church and in professional journals. BRISCO makes a serious attempt to insure that a diversity of views are presented and evaluated.

Extremely small amounts of amino acids and related compounds can be analyzed by a new high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) system recently acquired by the GRI. This instrument makes possible easy detection of quantities of amino acids at the picogram level (1 picogram = 10-12 grams). Such sensitivity allows one to examine small amounts of sample. The apparatus was assembled by Richard Tkachuck while visiting the laboratory of Ed Hare at the Geophysical Laboratory, Carnegie Institute in Washington DC. Hare, an early developer of this technology, has refined the system to its present sensitivity. Although similar commercial instruments are available, building the apparatus from component parts represents substantial savings and increased versatility.

A unique feature of the instrument's system enables one to take it into the field and perform analyses at the site of collection. A small microprocessor calculates the data and allows immediate analysis of the sample.

In studying the problems associated with speciation rates, it is necessary to have a means of rapidly screening biological samples to detect the metabolic changes which Tkachuck is seeking. This instrument meets the critical need in his research program.

Already in its second year, a geology program that will be certain to attract many students is being offered by Loma Linda University. Because of the intensive search for petroleum and vital minerals, the number of positions available in geology, according to Geotimes, is greater than the supply. Thus a person majoring in geology is almost certainly assured of a position after graduation. The LLU program has three full-time staff as well as several part-time faculty. Current full-time staff are HPB, Ph.D., Knut Andersson (who is completing his doctoral work), and Lanny Fisk, Ph.D. Because of the newness of this program, not many academy and college students know of this option available to them. Readers of this newsletter should feel free to disseminate this information to potentially interested students. For further information, write to:

Dr. Lanny H. Fisk, Coordinator
Geology Program
Loma Linda University
Riverside, CA 92515

Over 40 individuals attended the Seventh-day Adventist pre-GSA meetings which were held from October 30-November 1 at the SDA youth camp near Spencer, Indiana. The group consisting of SDA scientists and others interested in the question of origins participated in discussion periods, religious services, fellowship, and field trips to the richly fossiliferous limestones of southern Indiana.

In recent years, prior to attending the annual meetings of the Geological Society of America, a group of SDA scientists has met to discuss questions of geological and paleontological interest. Next year the meetings will be held in the vicinity of New Orleans, Louisiana. An individuals interested in attending should contact the Geoscience Research Institute for further information.

A concerned person has queried about varves [cyclic annual sedimentary deposits in quiet waters that display themselves as thin lines in the stratigraphic record]. Varves sometimes occur in sequences of many thousands, thus suggesting many thousands of years for deposition. Excerpts from a reply by Drs. Roth and Brown follow.

The varve question is an important one as you suggest. To us the most serious question is the apparent correlation between some varve sequences and carbon-14 dates (e.g., Lake of the Clouds; Anthony 1977, Limnology and Oceanography 22:45-54). We suspect that both are wrong. We shall discuss with you some of the problems with varves.

One of the most impressive series of varves is the Green River Shale of the western United States. Here are thousands of feet of varves, some of them only 0.1 mm thick. Estimates of 4,000,000 to many times that number of varves for the Shale have been made. Well-preserved fossil fish are found among these fine varves. Some of the fish are several feet long and several inches thick; most are smaller. It would take more than 1000 years to cover some of these fish at the rate of 0.1 mm/ year. Since dead fish normally disintegrate in a few weeks, there is no possibility that those "varves" were deposited on a yearly basis to cover up and preserve the fish. The fish would have long disintegrated before preservation. Anoxic (absence of oxygen) conditions have been postulated to preserve the fish for a longer period, but the presence of bottom dwelling catfish (Buchheim and Surdam 1977, Fossil catfish and the deposititional environment of the Green River Formation, Wyoming, Geology 5:196-198) seems to preclude an anoxic environment for the Green River Shale. The scientific data seem to be stating that these are not true annual varves.

Impressive glacial varve sequences have been worked out in Europe and North America, and by correlating one sequence with another, very long periods of time have been postulated. It seems evident that correlation is somewhat subjective, for after the development of C-14 dating, some correlations were revised to produce shorter dates that would agree with C-14 dating. Flint (Glacial and Quaternary Geology, 1971, p. 406) mentions Antev's work in North America which proposed a 28,000-year varve sequence which according to C-14 dating should have ended a little more than 10,000 years ago.

A test that was conducted a few years ago on the rate of varve formation in the Walensee of Switzerland demonstrated that the rate of formation averaged more than 2 per year. Sometimes 5 per year were formed (see Lambert and Hsu, 1979, Non-annual cycles of varve-like sediment in Walensee, Switzerland, Sedimentology 26:453-461). This paper suggests that the varves in Lake Zurich are annual. How ever, Giovanoli (1979, Geophysical Research Letters 6:2 3 3 -2 3 5) questions this.

Vogel (1970, in Ingrid U. Olsson, ed., Radiocarbon Variations and Absolute Chronology, pp. 313-325) questions the correlation between radiocarbon and some varves. According to him, either there is too little C-14 or there are too few varves. The discrepancy may be as great as a factor of 2. Henrik Tauder [(1980), quoting from a discussion reported in Radiocarbon 22(2): 1991 states, "The Swedish varve chronologies are increasingly uncertain about the absolute scale precision of the Late Glacial Swedish varve chronology. The varve dates quoted in my paper (1970), therefore, are considerably more uncertain than believed in 1970."

You inquire about the possibility of subcycles to the annual pattern. We have examined some varves such as those of the Castille Formation of Texas and find that they are highly irregular in thickness and at least superficially do not seem to show a daily pattern as reflected in either a monthly (tidal) or yearly (seasonal) cycle. The pattern still could be there but masked by "noise." This could apply to a number of other similar sequences.

This is the best information we can give you at present. The issue appears equivocal.

Your interest and concern about this question is much understood and appreciated.

Argentavis magnificens now holds the record for being the largest flying bird ever found. Discovered in Argentina in Miocene deposits, this mighty creature may have weighed 160-170 pounds and had a wingspan approaching 25 feet! To give a perspective of its size, an eagle with a wingspread of 8 feet would not even span one wing of this giant. Measuring about 11 feet from rip of beak to tip of tail, it would look a six-foot person in the eye while standing on the ground. Although ostriches and moas (a now extinct bird from the South Pacific) are taller and heavier, this large creature is thought to have been able to fly actively and probably soared much as present-day condors and eagles do. Bill structure implies that it was carnivorous in its habits. Belonging to a group of birds known as teratorns, A. magnificens is most similar to vultures in form. Its feathers are estimated to have been 6-7 inches wide and 5 feet long. Smaller species of teratorns have been found in California at the La Brea Tar Pits.

A creation workshop for academy science teachers, conducted by the Geoscience Research Institute, was held at Mt. Ellis Academy in Bozeman, Montana, July 30 to August 15. Sixty-two participants, some from as far as Newfoundland and Bermuda, representing every union conference of North America were in attendance.

The major objectives of the conference were 1) to acquaint the participants with current and valid research in creationism and 2) to relate science with the Bible in a sound and satisfactory way.

A full schedule of lectures and discussions included such topics as the evidences for creation, flood modeling, rates of speciation, the age of the earth, dinosaurs, the origin and age of the Grand Canyon, and E.G. White statements on science and geology. Included in the two weeks were four days of field trips. One day was spent on the slopes of Specimen Creek where one of the finest displays of petrified trees in the world can be seen. Some participants, not familiar with mountain terrain, were petrified with fear. All returned safely, however, with an appreciation for a unique geologic phenomenon with interesting implications for catastrophism.

A three-day field trip took the group through Yellowstone National Park, and east to the Bighorn Mountains. Specific areas of examination were Yellowstone thermal features, Grand Canyon of the Yellowstone, Heart Mountain overthrust, Shell Canyon in the Bighorn Mountains, Bighorn River canyon, and the Hebgen Lake earthquake area. Unexpected transportation problems involving three of the four buses caused cancellation of a small portion of the itinerary originally planned but added suspense and excitement at the prospect of a night spent in the Dead Indian Pass wilderness. Fortunately everyone did eventually reach Cody motel accommodations by midnight.

This creation workshop for North American secondary-school science teachers appeared to fill a long-felt need on the part of many of the teacher participants. It is hoped that such workshops can be repeated perhaps every five years.

Staff for the workshop were Ariel Roth, Robert Brown, Harold Coffin, and Richard Tkachuck of the Geoscience Research Institute; Leonard Brand and Arthur Chadwick of Loma Linda University Biology Department; and Robert Olson of the E.G. White Estate. Fred Stephan of the General Conference Department of Education and Richard Fearing, President of the North Pacific Union Conference, assisted with weekend services.

It had been given the nickname of "Scopes II." Some had even predicted that a circus-like atmosphere would prevail. True, a monkey-suited demonstrator was photographed on the steps outside the courtroom after being ejected from the trial. But the spectacle anticipated by the press never quite developed as the validity of the creation model as a science faced a legal test before a federal judge in Little Rock, Arkansas.

With the signing of Act 590 by Governor Frank White last spring, Arkansas enacted a law requiring "balanced treatment for creation-science and evolution-science." The law also emphasized the presentation of scientific models of origins along with the exclusion of "any religious instruction or references to religious writings." While it did not require instruction in origins, it stated the necessity of presenting instruction in both scientific models (evolution and creation) "if public schools choose to teach either."

In May, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed suit to declare the law vague, unconstitutional, and an abridgement of academic freedom. While the ACLU argued the law was an effort by fundamentalists to introduce religion into the science classes, attorneys for the state charged the ACLU with censorship and maintained that Act 590 protected true academic freedom.

The trial opened on 7 December and lasted approximately two weeks. During the first week, both scientists and theologians testifying for the ACLU stated that creationism was rooted in biblical history and therefore could not be taught as a science. In the concluding week, the state attempted to show that creation-science was as scientific as evolution-science. Among the expert witnesses were GRI members A. A. Roth and H. G. Coffin.

Roth testified that there was no strong evidence for either creation or evolution; however, biological and biochemical data pointed to the concept of a Designer. He also stated that the episodic nature of scientific theories as proposed by Kuhn suggests that at times scientific theories are not satisfactorily tested, and perhaps this is the case for evolution.

Coffin presented evidence from catastrophism, the fossil record, and questions about the origin of life which supported the biblical version of creation.

At the conclusion of the trial, U.S. District judge William R. Overton promised a ruling before the end of the year. He stated that he would not decide the validity of either the biblical account of origins for the earth and man, or the theory of evolution; rather, his opinion would stick to the narrow question of whether the creation model was religion. It is already anticipated that his ruling will be appealed, and the case is likely to go to the U.S. Supreme Court for a final decision. Meanwhile, the state of Louisiana has passed a similar bill and is also facing a legal challenge from the ACLU.

Geoscience Reports Fall, 1981 No. 2

Subscription requests, correspondence, and notices of change of address should be sent to: Geoscience Reports, Geoscience Research Institute, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92350.

Geoscience Reports is a newsletter published by the Geoscience Research Institute to present current happenings at the Institute as well as notes of general interest which deal with creation/ evolution issues. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the institute.

Staff of the Institute: Ariel A Roth-Director, Robert H. Brown, Katherine Ching, Harold G. Coffin, and Richard D. Tkachuck.

Geoscience Reports 3:1-4 (Spring 1983).

GEOSCIENCE RESEARCH INSTITUTE NEWS

The volcanic explosion of Mount St. Helens has provided Harold Coffin with a massive laboratory in which to examine various aspects of fossil forest formation. For about two decades, Coffin has been studying the fossil forest of Yellowstone to determine what mechanism might be responsible for its formation. If one counts the tree rings on each of the layers found in this fossil assemblage, the total time span required for this forest to grow there would be about 14,000 years. Coffin has developed an alternative explanation based upon evidence for the transportation and rapid burial of the trees.

The largest problem that Coffin faced was how trees could remain upright in a catastrophic situation. At first it was assumed that transported trees would be almost exclusively horizontal when finally deposited; yet in some areas of the fossil forest a majority of trees are vertical, suggesting that they are in growth position.

The blast of Mount St. Helens resulted in the devastation of many square miles of mature forest. One aspect of the blast was the placement of a large log raft on Spirit Lake which was only a few miles from the crater. Logs and stumps have been floating in the lake for over two years. Coffin's observations at Spirit Lake have confirmed earlier laboratory experiments in which he placed small trees in water tanks and let them float there. With time, most of them moved from a horizontal to a vertical position. The experiments have been criticized because the trees were not as large as those found in Yellowstone. Coffin's observations this summer have now answered this criticism.

In Spirit Lake at the present time, many very large trees are floating in the vertical position, much as the small-scale experiments had indicated they might. To establish that these trees were not attached to the lake bottom, divers examined a number of these upright trees and found them to be free floating. In addition, it would not be possible for the St. Helens trees to be in place of growth because the bottom of the lake was filled with about 200 feet of sediment.

Coffin's data and interpretations of the events in Spirit Lake have been published in the May 1983 issue of Geology.

These data suggest that erect petrified trees need not be in a position of growth but that water-transported stumps also may be deposited and preserved upright.

SCUBA diver in the Spirit Lake log raft (indicated by arrow). Erect stumps were examined and found to be floating above bottom or lightly grounded.

In addition to the St. Helens work, Coffin also examined, this past summer, another fossil forest in North Dakota. Though this forest certainly is not as well known as the Yellowstone forest, Coffin was able to examine what appeared to be several layers containing upright trees. Unfortunately, the state of preservation of these trees will not allow dendrochronological studies as have been done in Yellowstone. However, the extensive placement of these trees has prompted Coffin to say that they are worthy of further study and are in his plans for a future summer.

With the beginning of the summer season, some of the GRI staff will be in the field to continue their research efforts. R. Tkachuck will be spending a month at the Walla Walla Marine Station at Anacortes, Washington. There he will be examining the biochemistry of a species of tapeworm which lives in the spiral valve of a chiamarid fish (known locally as the rat fish). This tapeworm differs from the majority of other tapeworms in that it has only one segment rather than many. It is considered by evolutionary biologists to represent an early step in the evolution of tapeworms. By examining its biochemistry, Tkachuck hopes to determine whether this worm deserves this taxonomic position.

Biochemical analysis of the metabolic products of glucose and certain amino acids will be the first experiments performed. Since parasitic organisms tend to show significant loss of metabolic abilities when compared with free living forms, these experiments may indicate how "primitive" this creature is.

H. Coffin will return to Spirit Lake near Mount St. Helens to further monitor the state of the floating log mat upon the lake. He will make further surveys of the number of upright trees versus the number of horizontal ones. A period of time will also be spent in the Yellowstone area working on the dendrochronological picture of trees found in different horizontal layers. At this time he will be collaborating with Dr. Art Chadwick and his graduate student Mike Arct. Finally, some time will be spent doing preliminary studies of the fossil forest in North Dakota. Here he will attempt to determine the mode of formation of the various layers, the kinds and number of varieties of the trees in this forest as well as some paleoecological studies to determine the kind of environment this forest once occupied.

R. H. Brown will continue with computer analysis of C-14 levels in layered organic profiles. This analysis, now localized at Loma Linda, is a continuation of studies originally begun in the Andrews University computing facility.

A. A. Roth will be examining various sedimentary layers in Utah and Colorado with the hopes of determining more fully the conditions at the time of deposition. By examining the size of the materials composing a particular layer, it is possible to postulate the forces involved in its deposition.

In addition to the above research activity, members of the GRI will participate in a field conference held for certain administrators of the Mid-America area, various educational conferences and BRISCO. Finally, a field conference for the General Conference and Division leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church will be held in mid-September. By the first of October, the fall activities at LLU should begin.

R. H. Brown, past director of GRI, presented a paper at the 11th International Radiocarbon Conference in Seattle, Washington. Though officially retired, Brown is actively pursuing his research in radiocarbon modeling. Dr. Ivan Rouse of the Loma Linda University Physics Department collaborated with Dr. Brown in preparing this paper entitled "Long-Term Response of the C-14 Exchange System." It modeled long-term aspects of the flow of radiocarbon from its formation in the upper atmosphere into various components of the biosphere, and finally into the deep sediments of the ocean. The results indicate that the probabilities for radioactive decay to Nitrogen-14 and for transfer from the deep ocean into the upper biosphere are each greater than the probability for transfer to sediment, and also that the C-14 exchange system may at present be at only approximately 91% of equilibrium with respect to the mean current rate at which C-14 is introduced into the biosphere.

A 9% deficiency from equilibrium is less than the range of fluctuation that can be expected from variations in either the cosmic ray intensity or the geomagnetic field intensity. If the C-14 inventory has been increasing steadily and has reached only 91% of equilibrium, uncorrected C-14 ages in the vicinity of 4000 years BP would be only about 750 years greater than the corresponding historical age.

According to the conclusions reached by Brown and Rouse, harmonization of C-14 age dates with the constraints of biblical chronology requires an extended post-flood injection of C-14 into the biosphere at a greater rate than the present value of 8.2ï¿1⁄21.5 kilograms per year.

An 8-day field conference was held for the leadership of the Pacific Union Conference during the summer of 1982. This study tour was requested by Walter Blehm, president of the Pacific Union, in order to acquaint his personnel with the problems and solutions encountered in the study of origins. Starting in Holbrook, Arizona, the group traveled as far north as Moab, Utah, and eventually returned to the Zion area of Utah.

A variety of geologic features provided the springboard for discussions on the various interpretations possible for the stratigraphic record. Unconformities which occurred at places where portions of the geologic column are missing were displayed in numerous locations. These gaps range from 12 to over 170 million years, yet the bedding plains were even and straight over thousands of square miles. This even erosion is of a type not occurring on earth today and one which defies a suitable mechanism.

Study in the Grand Canyon and Zion/Bryce Canyons allowed the participants to follow the geologic column from its Precambrian base to nearly the top of the Tertiary. Few places on earth provide such a continuous display of the various geologic layers.

At the Grand Canyon, A. A. Roth discussed several models for its formation with the final conclusion that data at present do not strongly support any particular model. Roth noted that the current trend in geological thinking is that the canyon formed relatively rapidly (in geological terms, to be sure).

Evidence for catastrophic placement and erosion of sediments were seen in the distinctive turbidite sequences found in numerous localities. A sequence of rapid erosion was seen in the Kanab Creek which eroded 40-50 feet of soft sediments in one overnight rainstorm.

The use of CB radios allowed for lively conversation between drivers and passengers of the 10-car caravan. The attending leadership expressed the need for their constituency to become acquainted with both the problems and explanations produced by a study of origins.

Field trip participants in Petrified Forest National Monument, Arizona, examined coarse conglomerates (note directly behind people) and bentonite, an important factor in rapid erosion.

The results of an extended research project on the relation of light to coral reef growth was recently published by Ariel A. Roth, Director of GRI. Conducted in Hawaii and the Marshall Islands, this research analyzes: 1) the effects of ultraviolet light on rates of coral growth, 2) the relation of light intensity to rates of growth, 3) the effect of natural day-and-night cycles to rate of growth, and 4) the lag effect of light irradiation on the coral growth rates. The results, published in Pacific Science (Vol. 36, pp.65-81), indicate that ultraviolet light inhibits coral growth at the surface of the ocean where rates of coral reef growth are usually studied. This no doubt is responsible for some of the slower rates of coral reef growth that have been published earlier. Coral reefs do not grow as rapidly on a dark cloudy day as they would on a bright day, they grow more slowly at night, and there is a light-lag effect.

The rate of coral reef growth is important in creation/evolution studies, because the very long periods of time assumed necessary for some reef growth do not fit within the standard biblical time frame. However, there are some records of rapid growth that permit one to accommodate reef growth within a short chronology. Ultraviolet light inhibition described in this research may be part of the reason for the discrepancy.

Rapid increase in knowledge causes science books to become outdated quickly. Creation: Accident or Design by Harold G. Coffin was published in 1968. In the fifteen years since it was written much new information of interest to science and religion has appeared. Furthermore, this volume has been out of print for two years.

An expanded and much revised second edition was submitted to the publisher over two years ago. Currently it is in the hands of the copy editors, and the projected publishing date is for fall 1983. It will appear under the new title, Origin by Design.

Clyde L. Webster, currently chairman of the Chemistry Department at Walla Walla College, will become a full-time member of the GRI in July, 1983. Webster finished his undergraduate work at Walla Walla in 1968 and completed his Ph.D. in 1972 at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. His dissertation subject was selenium isotopic analysis in uranium role-front deposits.

Upon completion of his graduate work, Webster was self-employed as a consultant in analytical service which performed trace elemental analysis on a variety of geologic and industrial samples.

A recipient of several GRI research grants in the past, Webster is presently working on the trace elemental analysis of dated lava flows from Hawaiian volcanoes.

In this work he is testing the idea that each separate flow should have a characteristic elemental fingerprint. After these studies he will examine the volcanic material in the various layers that surround the trees in the Yellowstone fossil forest. It may then be possible to determine how many volcanic episodes were necessary to form the deposit.

Webster is married to the former Priscilla Wilson and has two daughters, Kristine, age 14, and Laurel, age 11. In anticipation of joining GRI, Webster commented that the creation/evolution controversy is a critical area of study in these times and that he hopes to use his geochemical training to understand more fully the past geologic record.

The GRI is pleased to welcome the addition of this very competent scientist to its staff.

Glacier National Park on the Montana-Alberta border served as the site for the annual convening of BRISCO (Biblical Research Institute Science Council). Meeting sites are chosen so that attendees can view a geologic or paleontological feature of significance for the evolution/creation controversy. This past year, the group examined the contact between the Precambrian and the Cretaceous layers of the Lewis Overthrust, an area which suggests that several massive strata have overridden other layers of the same sequence. The action has resulted in the geologic layers being "out of sequence," with Precambrian rock on top of layers found much higher in the stratigraphic record.

Several creationists in the past as well as the present have interpreted the out-of-sequence layering found in overthrust areas to imply that the geologic column is not meaningful. An underlying reason for denying the orderly sequence of the geologic column is that it would make much more difficult the evolutionary claim that the geologic column is a sequential history of life on earth.

A number of major overthrusts are described throughout the world. If these features are really not overthrusts but do indicate that the geologic column is random, then the present understanding of the geologic column would require drastic reinterpretation.

The group undertook the challenging climb in the Marias Pass area which required about 3 hours to reach the contact between the Precambrian and Cretaceous layers. At the contact site the lower Cretaceous layers and the upper Precambrian layers were examined. Clear evidence of sliding of one layer over another was seen in the way the rocks were deformed and by the formation of striations, polish, slickensides, etc. The consensus of the group was that the evidence did indeed suggest an overthrust area.

Other work at BRISCO involved the presentation of prepared papers on subjects dealing with biblical interpretation, the process of discerning truth, and a special section dealing with methods of communicating Christianity and eventually creation with the secular scientist.

A LLU 4-week summer field course in historical and philosophical interpretations of paleontological and geologic features was conducted this past September by A. A. Roth, GRI Director. In comments to the students, Roth stated that it was his intention to expose them to some of the most difficult geologic problems that face the evolutionist and the creationist.

The tour covered close to 5500 miles in the western United States and included visits to the fossil Permian "Reef" in southern Texas, the multi-layered evaporite deposits of the Castile Formation, the volcanic and coal complexes of NE New Mexico, the tremendous Heart Mountain thrust sheet, the fossil forests of Yellowstone, Wyoming and Florissant, Colorado, the erosional features of the Grand Canyon and many other fascinating geologic sites. Along the way much evidence supporting a catastrophic history for the earth was also seen.

The 29 participants of the 10-car caravan were able to examine numerous rock out-crops and fossil areas which aided their search for interpretations of the past history of the earth. A wide variety of backgrounds was represented among the attendees ï¿1⁄2 mostly graduate students from several Adventist colleges. Also, three graduate students from universities in Holland attended the class. Commented one attendee, "This trip is probably the fastest way that one can learn both the difficulties and benefits of the creationist point of view." Roth believes that an intensive study of the facts and various interpretations is necessary in this important area and that the total scientific data alone favors the creation concept of origins.

The course is usually offered every other year and is open to any interested college or graduate student who has an adequate background. Interested students should contact A. A. Roth at GRI for future classes.

Research grants totaling ,050 were awarded to 7 individuals for 1983. Each year GRI accepts applications for proposed funding of research which centers on the problems in creationism. The grants are open to individuals in academic institutions, and the spectrum of possible research areas is quite broad. The award grants represent newly initiated work as well as funding for continuing studies. This year half of the awardees were graduate students working towards advanced degrees. The list of recipients continues below:
M. Arct

Dendrochronology of the Yellowstone fossil forest.
J. Gibson

Chromosome evolution in North American Ground Squirrels of the genus Spermophilus.
I. Holmes    

X-ray diffraction analysis of the mineral layering of the fossil forest layers above Specimen Creek, Yellowstone National Park.
W. W. Hughes

Brachiopod skeletal growth line patterns: chemical periodicities and methods of formation.
J.-L. Lienard

Effects of depth on coral growth ridges.
E. McCluskey    

A test of "living" characters in an analysis of diversity.
L. Schremp    

Mammalian biostratigraphy of the Huayquerian of South America.
T. Yamamoto

Although the above represents the physical and biological sciences, grant proposals in the history of science, biblical studies or philosophy would also receive consideration. Application deadlines are November 1, 1983, for funding by February 1, 1984, and March 1, 1984, for funding by June 1, 1984. Potential applicants should contact A. A. Roth at the GRI for further information.

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Geoscience Reports

Probably one of the most terrifying experiences is to live through a major earthquake. Unlike tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, or fires there is no realm of relative safety that one can flee to during an earthquake.

What causes earthquakes? Can earthquakes be predicted? How can we measure earthquakes? Why do some areas have earthquakes and others not? These questions may be answered reasonably well for the other above-mentioned natural disasters; however, earthquakes are different. To answer these questions, the scientist must be able to study, in detail, the various factors involved in the process. It is this need for detail that complicates the study of the earthquake.

The only direct observable data the scientist can acquire concerning earthquakes is limited to the upper few tens of meters of the Earth's surface. Beyond this point the scientists must rely on the unraveling of the tangled skein of records written by seismographs.

The word seismograph comes from the Greek word seismos which means earthquake. The study of earthquakes, 'Seismology,' did not have its formal beginning until 1855 when L. Palmieri, of Italy, invented the first seismograph: a simple horizontal pendulum which recorded the earth's movements in sand or on smoked paper. Even many of today's sophisticated seismographs work on the pendulum principle. (See "How-To- Department.'')

It is from the records of the seismograph that much is learned not only about the strength and origin of an earthquake but also about the interior of the earth itself.

To the untrained eye the tracing of the seismograph is just a bunch of wiggly lines of varying spacing and height. Actually the waves, recorded by a seismograph, can be divided into two classes: the surface waves or L waves and the waves that travel through the body of the earth, the P waves and the S waves. See Fig. 1. It is the long or L waves that we feel during an earthquake and it is the L waves that are also responsible for the destruction. The L waves are also the largest of the waves recorded.

One might think of the P and S waves as push and shake waves. The primary or P wave is similar in nature to the sound waves which are generated by the alternate compression and rarefaction in the medium through which it travels. The secondary or S wave is similar to the wave generated by the shaking of a tightly strung rope or clothesline in which the waves generated are at right angles to the direction of travel.

The L wave travels the slowest and the P wave travels the fastest. Of the two body waves only the P wave travels through liquids.

It is the unequal speed at which the P and S waves travel that allow one to determine the focus or epicenter of an earthquake. A single reading cannot pinpoint the exact location of the epicenter. A single reading gives only a distance radius with no direction vector. It takes a minimum of three different seismographic readings from three different stations to determine the exact epicenter of the quake. See Fig. II

There are two basic ways to measure the intensity of an earthquake. The first, and more subjective, is derived primarily from the effects on people and structures. This type of measurement is the Mercalli Intensity Scale. As you can see, a single earthquake may have many ratings depending upon the distance from the focus, types of structures, etc.

The second and more familiar method of measuring earthquake intensity is the Richter Scale of Magnitude. The Richter Scale is based upon the total amount of energy released by the earthquake. Because the Richter Scale is logarithmic rather than arithmetic an earthquake of magnitude 4.0 is not twice as great as an earthquake of 2.0 but rather 100 TIMES as great with the release of almost 1000 TIMES AS MUCH TOTAL ENERGY! Figure I I I shows the relationship of energy and earthquake magnitude for the Richter Scale.

Fig. III Richter Scale of Magnitude Earthquake magnitude

Approximate energy released

The specific causes of earthquakes still remain unclear. In a general sense, earthquakes can be directly associated with plate tectonics (the movement of large sections of the earth's crust, similar to that of sponges upon the surface of a basin of water). The contact zone of two plates is called a fault (fracture) zone. Movement along a fault may be horizontal, vertical or a combination of the two. Probably the most widely known fault is the San Andreas Fault in California.

The San Andreas Fault is at the contact between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. Movement along this fault is almost exclusively horizontal. Some areas along the San Andreas Fault show a slow continual movement or creep. Other portions of the San Andreas Fault show no signs of creep and are said to be locked up. The areas which tend to creep generally have less severe earthquakes whereas the locked areas tend to have more severe earthquakes. Both San Francisco and Los Angeles are located near locked portions of the San Andreas Fault.

The cause of plate movements and the triggering mechanisms are still unknown. Some geologists and geophysicists suggest a correlation between earthquakes and sunspot activity while others suggest a correlation between earth tides or the phases of the moon. And yet others say it is the wobble of the earth about its axis that causes earthquakes, while another group suggests it is the earthquakes that cause the wobble. It is safe to say nobody knows for sure, although plate movements seem to be the key.

According to Putnam and Bassett (1971) earthquakes have a notable concentration around the borders of the Pacific Ocean and westerly from its rim along the line of the Himalayas and the mountains of the Middle East through to the Mediterranean. Japan is the earthquake capital of the world followed closely by the islands of Indonesia, New Zealand, the Philippines and the west coasts of North and South America.

Some regions, such as the great shield areas of every continent, are virtually free from earthquakes (Putnam & Bassett 1971).

Without a complete understanding of the causes and mechanisms of earthquakes, prediction with any accuracy ranges from difficult to impossible. Progress is being made as to prediction of earthquakes but the science is still an infant!

In order to assist with earthquake prediction scientists not only monitor seismic activity but also the tilt of the earth about active faults, the release of radon gas from fractured bedrock into deep water wells, and the changes of the magnetic characteristics of the rocks near the fault. All of these tools are indirect methods used to understand the nature and cause of earthquakes.

While one cannot prevent earthquakes or accurately predict when an earthquake will occur, it is still possible to live reasonably safe in an active seismic zone. Control of the type and manner of construction of commercial and residential structures has greatly decreased the amount of damage resulting from an earthquake. However, the greatest asset to damage control is for those living in an earthquake area to be "Quake Aware."

Being ''Quake Aware'' is knowing how to prevent further destruction after the earthquake. Know how to turn off the gas and electricity in order to prevent fires. Few people realize that the major damage from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake was more fire related than anything else. Also be aware of the human needs. Plan with your family where you would meet after a devastating earthquake. Discuss with them conservation of potable water and other necessities. Remember, the few minutes spent in preparation for an earthquake may save your home as well as your life.

• Canby, T.Y., and J. P. Blair, 1973 California's San Andreas Fault. National Geographic, 143, 38-53. An account of the most famous fault in North America.
• Glen, W., 1975. Continental drift and plate tectonics. Merrill, Columbus, Ohio. Chapter 7 puts earthquakes together with plate boundaries.
• Pakiser, L.C., Eaton, J.P., Healy, J.H., Raleigh C.B., 1969. Earthquake prediction and control. Science, 166 (3912), 1467-74.
• Press, F., and R. Siever (compilers), 1974. Planet Earth, readings from Scientific American. W.H.Freeman, San Francisco.
• Vitaliano, D.B., 1973. Legends of the earth: their geologic origins. Indiana University Press, Bloomington, Ind.
• Wilson, T.J. (compiler), 1972, Continents Adrift, readings from Scientific American. W. H. Freeman, San Francisco.
• Wyllie, P.J., 1971. The dynamic Earth. John Wiley, New York.
• Wyllie, P.J., 1976. The way the Earth works. John Wiley, New York.

The first introduction to a subject or idea often sets the tenor of future relationship to and understanding of that subject. Often this introduction goes unnoticed by everyone except the individual with the questioning mind.

As educators we are more aware of the questioning mind and the need for accurate information. And yet, the parents' awareness is often keener than that of the teachers because Johnny comes home and says "My teacher said ... and teacher is right!"

The statement, "My teacher is right, places a tremendous responsibility on the teacher. How can teacher always "be right"? Realistically it is impossible to know and understand every subject. However, it is possible to be aware of some of the potential areas of questioning for a given grade level, and hence to have accurate information for that subject. The depth of subject knowledge may not be great, but, if accurate, the introduction to that subject will, more often than not, be favorable. It is towards this end that Geoscience Reports has changed its format and focus.

Geoscience Reports is therefore dedicated to you, the classroom teacher. Like you, we do not have all of the answers either, but, unlike you, we may have the time to find the answers and share them with others.

In order for this format and focus to be successful, we at Geoscience need your input. If you are troubled with a given science subject area, feel free to use us as a resource agency. We will try to answer all inquiries either privately or in Geoscience Reports.

In closing I would like to share the following statement, from Ellen G. White, on the type of science that God approves of: "God is the author of science. Scientific research opens to the mind vast fields of thought and information, enabling us to see God in His created works. Ignorance may try to support skepticism, true science contributes fresh evidences of the wisdom and power of God. Rightly understood, science and the written word agree, and each sheds light on the other. Together they lead us to God by teaching us something of the wise and beneficent laws through which He works'' CT 426.

The GRI staff makes many public presentations in seminars, classrooms, conferences, church groups, etc. Last year more than 70 public presentations were given by the five scientists of the Institute.

The Colorado Springs area provided a pleasant setting for the latest meeting of the Biblical Research Institute Science Council (BRISCO). Sponsored by the Biblical Research Institute of the General Conference, BRISCO consists mainly of Seventh-day Adventist scientists and theologians who meet annually in a locality of geological or biological significance to study issues arising between scientific interpretations and the Bible. BRISCO has never received much publicity, partly because it is a working committee instead of a platform for the promulgation of personal interpretations.

The Colorado Springs area was selected because of its Florissant fossil beds which contain a number of large, petrified, upright trees along with a rich variety of extremely well-preserved leaves, insects, etc. The group also examined intriguing clastic dikes found in the Woodland Park area. These dikes have the potential of placing some serious constraints on the amount of time allowed for the geologic time scale.

In addition to the field work, the group spent about two of the four days of the August meeting presenting and discussing papers of scientific and theological concerns to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In addition to general papers, a portion of each BRISCO meeting is devoted to a special topic which is selected at the previous meeting. For this meeting the special topic was catastrophic models and evidence for the flood.

Ground work was laid for the presentation of a symposium volume that will include some of the noteworthy findings and discussions of this committee. It will probably take several summers before this symposium volume is published.

Coupled with the increasing educational standard of most nations is the exposure of their populations to evolutionary theory as an explanation of origins. With this increased worldwide exposure the need to present a scientifically sound creation theory and to answer questions concerning evolution is arising in the world church. To meet these needs plans for closer contact between the Geoscience Research Institute and designated Adventist scientists and educators in overseas divisions are being formulated.

Individuals with training in science or interest in creation/evolution problems will be given opportunities to participate in field conferences in North America and to spend time at the Institute in Loma Linda. Useful materials on creationism will be provided them for circulation within their divisions. It is hoped that some of this material will be translated into local languages.

A European field conference was conducted in the summer of 1981 and another is scheduled for this summer. Approximately 50 Adventist teachers and administrators have or will be involved in each of these conferences. Tentative plans are being developed for future conferences in other overseas areas.

Research grants totaling ,970 were awarded to 9 individuals for 1984. Each year GRI accepts application for proposed research centered around creationism. The grants are open to individuals in academic institutions, and the spectrum of possible research areas is quite broad. The award grants represent newly initiated work as well as funding for continuing studies. This year five of the awardees were graduate students working towards, advanced degrees. The list of recipients are:

Although the above represents the physical and biological sciences, grant proposals in the history of science, biblical studies or philosophy would also receive consideration. Application DEADLINE is February 15, 1985 for funding by June 1, 1985. NOTE: There is only ONE (1) funding period for 1985! Potential applicants should contact C. L. Webster at the GRI for further information.

Publications . . .

Origin By Design, new name for a major revision of Creation: Accident or Design, came off the press in January. This 500-page book, authored by Harold G. Coffin and Robert H. Brown both from Geoscience Research Institute with assistance from others, is one of the most comprehensive volumes on creationism available today. It is published by the Review and Herald Publishing Association and is available in Adventist Book Centers around the country.

Some of the changes in the second edition involve expansion of the section on evidences of the Flood, addition of chapters on the Yellowstone Petrified Forests and evidences for a youthful earth, and enlarged treatment of the theory of evolution and radioactive dating methods. The first edition was prepared for an Adventist readership, whereas the second edition is suitable for the general public.

The first issue of the 1983 edition of Origins displayed a new change in format - the addition of a color cover. Using a picture displaying upright floating logs on Spirit Lake near Mount St. Helens, the advent of color seemed an appropriate way of celebrating the tenth anniversary of publication. Although the use of color will at first be limited to the cover, changes in paper type and ink used internally in the journal will eventually allow use of color inside the journal as well. This new capacity should expand both the usefulness and impact of this publication.

A Spanish journal entitled Cienca de los Origenes, concerned with creation and science news items relevant to the creation/evolution controversy, is being sent to Seventh-day Adventist students and schools in Central and South America. Three issues are produced each year by Dr. David Rhys under the auspices of the Geoscience Research Institute staff.

Costs of printing and mailing are being borne by the Geoscience Research Institute and the Central and South American Divisions as a service to Spanish-reading Adventists who do not have a large library of creation publications to consult.

Dr. Rhys, well known as an educator in Latin America, is translating into Spanish articles and news items that appear in Origins and other English publications. Letters received from recipients of the paper indicate that it is filling a need and is appreciated.

GRI Staff Research

Using high performance liquid chromatography (hplc) Dr. Richard Tkachuck began a series of studies examining the metabolic pathways of glucose metabolism in tapeworms found near the Walla Walla College marine laboratory near Rosario, Washington. The tapeworm has been defined in evolutionary thought as primitive in that it has only one segment. By comparing its metabolic pathways with other orders of tapeworms, it is hoped to determine how parasites may have evolved.

In addition to these studies, Tkachuck also collaborated with Drs. William Hughes of Andrews University and Gary Rosenburg of the University of Indiana in their studies of the development of growth lines in brachiopods. Growth lines are believed to form when organic acid production increases during anaerobic conditions. Using hplc, Tkachuck was able to determine the kinds of acids and their concentrations.

The summer of 1984 will again find Tkachuck at the marine lab where the above work will be continued.

Utilizing the sensitivity of spark source mass spectrometry (ssms) Dr. Clyde Webster is working on a baseline study of trace element profiles in Hawaiian basalts. Once verification of the technique of using trace element profiles to identify individual historic basalt flows is established, the principal research area will switch from Hawaii to the fossil forests of Yellowstone. The objective of the Yellowstone study will be to determine the minimum number of flows involved in the petrified forest.

News Notes:

Unlike Gershwin's summer where the ''livin' is easy,'' the summers at the Geoscience Research Institute (GRI) are very busy!

The summer and early fall of '83 saw the staff of GRI host two field conferences for SDA church leaders. The first group (July 11 -20) consisted of members of the Adventist Health System, Eastern and Middle America and the Mid-American Union. President Neal C. Wilson and other top church leaders, including a number of overseas division personnel on their way to Annual Council. comprised the second group (September13-28).

The question of the authenticity of the Bible becomes more salient as scientists continue to develop a paradigm of long ages for the history of life on earth. The participants of these conferences became better acquainted with the scientific explanations that challenge the authority of the Bible. They also witnessed scientific evidence that supports the inspired record of origins and the flood. The question of origins is most important to the Seventh-day Adventist Church because the keeping of the seventh-day Sabbath is based on a literal six-day creation week, not a creation or evolution process taking thousands or millions of years. The localities selected for these field conferences were in the western United States which has outstanding examples of the geologic processes that demarcate the past history of our world. Included were:

1. The fossil forests of Yellowstone with its scores of layers of superimposed fossilized trees.
2. The Heart Mountain thrust sheet illustrating the transport of ''the tops of mountains'' up to forty miles.
3. Extremely widespread continental types of deposits such as the dinosaur-bearing Morrison Formation were examined. While only a few hundred feet thick, this formation runs from Canada to Texas.
4. The scarcity of erosional features at so-called major time gaps in the geologic record were noted in a number of areas.
5. The Grand Canyon with its multiple horizontal layers of sediment.

Both problems and potential solutions to various questions were discussed, pondered, and rediscussed by the group.

Scientists and theologians from SDA educational institutions along with the GRI staff complemented the field studies with a wide variety of interesting intellectual presentations. The daily pursuits were enriched with outstanding devotional periods which added balance to an intensive schedule.

The participants repeatedly expressed gratitude for the opportunity to learn and discuss the great issues of origins. Thankfulness was also mentioned for the information regarding the early history of the world that is available to us from inspired writers.

Dr. Ariel A. Roth spoke to an advanced geology class at the University of California, Riverside campus about the concepts of and evidence for a worldwide flood. Arguments in support of a worldwide flood included: 1.) The unusually widespread distribution of sediment and fossil types as would be expected in a worldwide catastrophe, 2.) the abundance of underwater turbidite types of sediments on the continents, 3.) the paucity of erosional features at so-called long time gaps suggesting the time gaps never occurred, 4.) the abundance of marine types of deposits on the continent, 5.) spores of plants occurring much earlier in the fossil record than the plants themselves, and 6.) sedimentary intrusions that suggest much shorter periods for the standard geologic time scale.

The ensuing lengthy amicable and open discussion which followed concerned itself at first with the evidence of the flood. The discussion then turned towards the relation of God to science and the conflict that is sometimes postulated between God and science. In the opinion of Dr. Roth there need not be such a conflict, since science can address itself to observing the consistency God has created in nature. Such consistency can be used to establish explanations about natu