Late Precambrian Glaciations
21st Century Science Continues to Support the Existence of Late Precambrian Glaciations and Refute Flood Geology
Kevin R. Henke, Ph.D.
May 4, 2014, Updated January 8, 2021
Mr. Oard Still Fails to Explain Away the Overwhelming Evidence for Precambrian (Neoproterozoic) Glaciations
As discussed in my 1999 essay, Oard (1997) extensively misrepresents the geological literature in an effort to disparage multiple glaciations during the Precambrian that refute his young-Earth creationist (YEC) agenda. As demonstrated in this and other related essays at this website, Oard (2009a; 2019) continues to distort the current consensus on Precambrian glaciations. Furthermore, while Oard (2009a, pp. 119-120) mentions some of the weaknesses of the “Snowball Earth” hypothesis, he neglects to mention that the only scientific alternative, the “Slushball Earth”, is also entirely incompatible with Flood geology.
Better Dating Now Available for the Late Precambrian (Neoproterozoic) Glaciations
Contrary to the hopes of Mr. Oard, the existence of Late Precambrian (Neoproterozoic) cold climates and glaciations have been repeatedly confirmed by 21st century field and laboratory research (e.g., Williams et al., 2008; Williams et al., 2011; Young, 2013; Retallack, 2011; Le Heron, 2012; Arnaud, 2012; Ivanov et al., 2013; Van Kranendonk and Mazumder 2014; Le Heron 2015; Harada et al. 2015; Ye et al. 2015; Corsetti 2015; Rooney et al. 2015; Cox et al. 2016; MacDonald and Wordsworth 2017; Gaia et al. 2017; Tan et al. 2021; Wu et al. 2021). Although controversies still exist for the dates of these glaciations, the number and resolution of the Late Precambrian glaciations are now better known than when I wrote my essay in 1999.
Oard (2009a, p. 111) cites Crowell (1999, p. 3) and lists the time span of the Late Precambrian glaciations as “roughly estimated” at 520-950 million years ago. Oard (2019) repeats this range of dates. However, data even available to Oard (2009a), indicate that the dates of the Late Precambrian glaciations and their inter-glacial periods are better known than his range. Maruyama and Santosh (2008, p. 29) concluded that the Late Precambrian Kaigas, Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations with two inter-glacial warming periods occurred between 770-635 million years ago. Hoffman and Li (2009) describe the radiometric dating results that are used to bracket the glacial episodes. Based on the best available data, Hoffman and Li (2009, p. 159) date the Sturtian glaciation(s) at about 660-726 million years ago and the Marinoan glaciations at approximately 635-655 million years ago. MacDonald et al. (2010) list four U-Pb radiometric dates from volcanic samples that erupted during four Late Precambrian glaciations, which include: 1) about 750 million years ago, possibly during the regional(?) Kaigas (Ediacaran) glaciation; 2) 716.5 million years ago during the Sturtian glaciation(s); 3) 635.5 million years ago during the Marinoan glaciation(s); and 4) 583.7 million years ago during the Gaskiers glaciation(s). Although our knowledge of Late Precambrian events is not as precise as geologists desire, the dates are far more refined and accurate than what is presented in Oard (2009a; 2019). While geologists continue to improve and refine our knowledge of Earth history, the case for the historical and archeological accuracy of the Bible continues to deteriorate (e.g., Finkelstein and Silberman, 2001; Drever, 2008; Price, 2003; Price, 2007).
Update on the Snowball vs. Slushball Earth Controversy: Both Sides Refute Flood Geology
In my 1999 essay, I briefly state:
“The formation of continental glaciers at the Late Precambrian equator presents challenges for both YECs and scientists. YECs have no choice but to ignore or attempt to dismiss the overwhelming data. Scientists have proposed a number of hypotheses to explain these low latitude continental glaciations, including: low CO2 levels in the atmosphere (Schermerhorn, 1983) and changes in the Earth’s obliquity (Williams, 1975).”
In 1999, many scientists and I advocated a “Snowball Earth”, where the entire planet was periodically covered in the Late Precambrian by thick glaciers. Since 1999, however, additional information has called into question that Late Precambrian continental glaciers actually made it all the way to the equator and literally froze over the entire Earth multiple times (Kerr, 2010). Although some support still exists for the "Snowball Earth" hypothesis (especially for the severe Sturtian and Marinoan glaciations; Ivanov et al., 2013, p. 787; MacLennan et al. 2020), many scientists now opt for a “Slushball Earth”, where extensive continental glaciers and sea ice entered the lower latitudes, but did not quite make it to the equator. That is, the equatorial regions were largely free of sea ice (Bodiselitsch et al. 2005, p. 239). In particular, Wang et al. (2008) noted that biotic carbon concentrations in Chinese diamictites (including tillites) were extremely low and indicated the presence of thin sea-ice or possibly thicker ice with areas of open water in the Yangtze region of China during the Late Precambrian. Although these results are consistent with a Slushball Earth, they hardly support an ice-free, biotic-rich Noah's Flood or a lush and warm pre-Flood Earth. It is quite clear that Oard (2009a) is unable to comprehend "shades of gray" in geological events, which is typical of a fundamentalist biblical worldview. Rather than considering the possibility of a Slushball Earth, Mr. Oard insists that people must choose between a Snowball Earth and his totally illusionary pre-Flood tropical paradise followed by a magical Noah's Flood that created a geologic record with numerous "counterfeit" desert and glacial deposits in about a year.
Since Mr. Oard desires that all evidence for Late Precambrian glaciations just melt away, it's not surprising that Oard (2009a, p. 111) refers to the Snowball Earth hypothesis as “highly dubious.” However, the scientific alternatives, including the “Slushball Earth”, are also completely incompatible with Flood geology (also see "Cause(s) of the Late Precambrian Glaciations", below). By completely ignoring the Slushball Earth and related literature, Oard (2009a, pp. 119-120) may give his readers a false impression that if geologists reject the Snowball Earth hypothesis, they are only left with an ice-free Late Precambrian alternative that is consistent with the demands of young-Earth creationism. However, as Oard (2009a, pp. 119-120) fails to explain, even critics of the Snowball Earth recognize that there is overwhelming evidence that the Earth was extensively glaciated at this time. For example, Allen and Etienne (2008, p. 818) criticize the Late Precambrian (Neoproterozoic) Snowball Earth hypothesis, but still argue for extensive glaciations:
“Although disagreement remains regarding the precise influence of glaciation recorded in sedimentary rocks deposited during the Neoproterozoic...[reference numbers omitted], many workers have presented a sufficient inventory of sedimentary characteristics to support the contention of a profound icehouse in that era.” [my emphasis]
Chumakov (2008, pp. 108-109) is another Snowball Earth skeptic that recognizes that the evidence for Late Precambrian glaciations is overwhelming and his statements refute the claim still used by YECs that Late Precambrian glacial deposits are nothing more than pseudotillites that resulted from turbidites, meteorite impacts and other non-glacial processes:
“According to one alternative viewpoint, many sediments mistaken for glacial deposits are of the other origin (Schermerhorn, 1975 [sic, 1974]; Rampino, 1994; and other works). Nevertheless, glacial genesis of most Late Precambrian tillites and glaciomarine sediments, their reworking by different colluvial processes, have been convincingly proved by comprehensive studies carried out independently on different continents by several generations of geologists...[references omitted]. The hypothesis of 'pseudotillites' is applicable now just to single and disputable occurrences of diamicts [footnote that defines diamicts omitted].”
While often critical of the Snowball Earth hypothesis, Fairchild and Kennedy (2007, p. 917) conclude:
“Even with only a partly frozen planet (Slushball Earth), rather than the deep-frozen Snowball, Neoproterozoic glacial events marked the most sustained, severe crisis in maintaining Earth's habitability since the intense meteoric bombardments of its early Archean days.”
While Oard (2009a) desires to link all Precambrian glaciations with the decline of the Snowball Earth hypothesis, Le Heron et al. (2009, p. 57) emphasizes that the Snowball Earth controversy is a separate issue from the recognition of Precambrian glacial deposits:
“The present paper does not intend to revisit the Snowball Earth debate, which is out of scope and irrelevant to the recognition of ancient glacial deposits.”
In other words, even scientists that are most critical of the Snowball Earth hypothesis still recognize the overwhelming evidence for severe Precambrian glaciations. The clear attempt in Oard (2009a) to turn criticism of the Snowball Earth hypothesis into opposition for any Precambrian glaciations for the sake of ridiculous Flood geology is unambiguously refuted by the 21st century scientific literature. Oard (2009a) is also unable to produce even one 21st century science article that questions the existence of Precambrian glaciations. Oard (2019; 2020) continues to cite outdated claims in Schermerhorn (1974) about non-glacial processes duplicating glacial features and omits the fact that Schermerhorn recanted in Young et al. (1976) and admitted that pre-Pleistocene glaciations occurred. As discussed at this website, Oard (2019; 2020) continues to ignore 21st century studies that continue to demonstrate that pre-Pleistocene glaciations were real and provide evidence that is incompatible with Noah's Flood.
Oard (2009a, p. 119) also lists several references (including Bodiselitsch et al. 2005) and he refers to the Snowball Earth as an “immense challenge” for actualism. However, Oard (2009a, p. 119) fails to mention an important conclusion about the Late Precambrian (Neoproterozoic) glaciations in Bodiselitsch et al. (2005). Bodiselitsch et al. (2005, p. 239) state:
“Our data confirm the presence of extended global Neoproterozoic glaciations and indicate that the duration of the Marinoan glacial episode was at least 3 million, and most likely 12 million, years.”
Instead of referring to these relevant anti-YEC results, Oard (2009a, p. 119) argues that paleomagnetic and other evidence “forces uniformitarians” to accept multiple “global” glaciations during the Late Precambrian. As in Oard (1997), Oard (2009a, p. 119; 2019) fails to realize that geologists actually deal with the consequences of valid data and not ignore them like he does.
Another one of the problems that Oard (2009a, p. 119) sees for multiple Late Precambrian Snowball Earth glaciations is the mistaken belief that once the Earth entirely froze over, it would never thaw. Oard (2019; 2020) continues to repeat this disinformation. Even if the entire Earth froze over, contrary to Oard (2009a, p. 119; 2019), Abbot and Pierrehumbert (2010) and Le Hir et al. (2010) argue that the Snowball Earth could deglaciate through increased concentrations of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases in the atmosphere from volcanism and a decreased albedo from the deposition of volcanic ash and continental dust on top of the glaciers. A Snowball Earth need not remain permanently frozen. In response to increases in atmospheric carbon dioxide melting a Snowball Earth, Oard (2020, p. 12) finally cites a study by Sansjofre et al. (2011), where they argue that the carbon dioxide levels at about 653 million years ago would not have been sufficient enough to melt a "hard" (totally glaciated) Snowball Earth. Of course, this only deals with Marinoan glaciation and does not consider the melting effects from other greenhouse gases, cloud cover (e.g., Abbott et al. 2012) or decreased albedo from volcanic ash. Furthermore, Mr. Oard's objections are entirely irrelevant with the Slushball Earth hypothesis, which rejects an Earth that was entirely frozen over, but is still completely incompatible with Noah's Flood.
Because Mr. Oard falsely believes that the Late Precambrian glaciations are impossible problems for actualism, Oard (2009a, p. 120) finally recommends that other “uniformitarian” scientists and I “should question” our “continued focus” on Precambrian ages and glaciations. This is terrible anti-science advice. As discussed in this and other essays at this website, the 21st century science literature continues to fully support the existence of Late Precambrian glaciations. Unlike young-Earth creationism, the Precambrian glaciations do not violate the laws of chemistry and physics under actualism. Although the data may be difficult to interpret, what honest scientist would ever give up on solving problems, just ignore the data and invoke the vague “Somehow God did it!” excuse? Certainly, the Precambrian climate record has been an exciting and fun challenge for geologists. However, there is no justification for following Mr. Oard's path by selectively combing through data and throwing out any of them because they won’t comply with his YEC biblical doctrines. While YECs are forced, sometimes by oaths, to reject or ignore any data, no matter how well-verified, that contradicts their biblical interpretations, geologists compile and evaluate data on the geologic record and are “forced” to deal with whatever results. The latter is science and the former is dogmatic YEC religion.
Glacial Features: Polygonal sand-wedges
In my 1999 essay, I mentioned the presence of sand and ice wedges in Precambrian rocks and their support for cold climates:
“Williams (1986) describes several Late Precambrian periglacial and glacial features in Scotland, Norway, Ontario (Canada) and especially in South Australia. These features include primary sand wedge polygons, frost heaved blocks, frost thrusting structures, periglacial involutions, sandstone casts of ice wedges, and even a fossil permafrost horizon. Williams (1986, p. 234, 239-240) argues that the presence of these features indicates mean annual air temperatures well below 0C and thin snow covers. Specifically, the presence of primary sand-wedge polygons at Mount Gunson, Australia, and elsewhere suggests a mean annual temperature as low as –5 to –20C and arid conditions. Impressive photographs of one of these polygons are shown in Williams (1986, p. 237).
Seasonal temperature cycles, including rapid drops in temperature, are needed to produce the contraction cracking that promotes the growth of ice and sand wedges (Williams, 1986, p. 234). Williams (1986, p. 240) notes that non-glacial features, such as sandstone dikes and diapiric clay bodies, may resemble periglacial and glacial features. However, the presence of wedge structures in sand and other non-clayey materials, as well as other textural and structural properties can distinguish ice and sand wedges from non-glacial features (Williams, 1986, p. 240). Not surprisingly, Oard [1997] largely ignores Williams’ data and only claims (p. 29) that "Williams (1986, 1994) admits that permafrost features are difficult to identify in the geologic record.”
Although Oard (2009a, p. 117) misread and erroneously claims that I supported the existence of Ordovician ice wedge casts in my 1999 essay, when in fact I never did, he did not respond to my 1999 discussions of the evidence of ice and sand wedge casts in the Late Precambrian. Contrary to Mr. Oard's hopes, the evidence of these and similar features continues to have an important role in supporting cold Late Precambrian climates (e.g., Williams et al., 2008). Hoffman and Li (2009, pp. 164-165) further discuss the distribution of sand-wedges in Late Precambrian deposits.
Dry Sand Ergs
Extensive wind-blown sand deposits (ergs) can form in dry climates that are either cold or hot. Sand ergs formed during the Marinoan glacial episode in the Bakoye Formation of Mali and the Whylla Sandstone in South Australia (Hoffman and Li, 2009, p. 166). These dry climate deposits are inconsistent with Noah's Flood.
Cause(s) of the Late Precambrian Glaciations
Several articles, including Maruyama and Santosh (2008), Williams (2008) and Fairchild and Kennedy (2007), have recently reviewed the various hypotheses that attempt to explain the onset and ending of the Late Precambrian glaciations. Several major hypotheses include: 1) Zipper-rift Earth (glaciations related to highlands in continental rift zones), 2) High-tilt Earth (high-obliquity for the Earth and preferential glaciations at low latitudes), 3) Snowball Earth (discussed above), 4) Slushball Earth (discussed above), and 5) changes in the Earth's magnetic field strength, which could affect the influx of cosmic rays and influence climate (see Fairchild and Kennedy, 2007; Maruyama and Santosh, 2008, p. 27; Williams, 2008 for details). Minor fluctuations in the energy output of the Sun are another possible explanation. Notice that none of these hypotheses deny the existence of Precambrian glaciations. Rather than properly considering the strengths and weaknesses of each of these hypotheses, Oard (2009a, p. 120) simply tries to dismiss them as “speculative” and “far-fetched.” Although some of these hypotheses are more plausible than others, how are changes in the greenhouse chemistry of the Earth's atmosphere, volcanic ash decreasing the albedo of glacial ice, minor fluctuations in the energy output of the Sun, etc. more “speculative” and “far-fetched” than the YEC interpretations of Genesis 1-11?
Post-Glacial Precambrian Carbonates: Too Slow Origins for Flood Geology
Carbonates commonly occur as “caps” on top of Late Precambrian glacial deposits. Oard (2009a, pp. 119-120) mentions that these carbonate caps “imply a warm ocean and atmosphere”, although Crowell (1999, p. 45) questions this assumption. Retallack (2011) further argues that at least the Late Precambrian Australian cap carbonates that he studied are non-marine periglacial loess. If periglacial wind-blow silt (loess) is present in these Australian deposits, they would be toxic to Mr. Oard's Flood geology agenda. Like the other literature on pre-Pleistocene glaciations, Mr. Oard needs to carefully, fully and soberly evaluate the contents of Retallack (2011), and not just look for sentences, phrases, or other loop holes to promote his YEC agenda.
It is important to recognize that carbonates may form in cold climates or under warm subsurface conditions in cold areas (Cherns and Wheeley, 2007). In my 1999 essay, I recognized that Oard (1997, p. 31) mentions that not all carbonates form in warm water or under a warm atmosphere. However, there were several issues dealing with dolomite precipitation and carbonates as “climate indicators” that Oard (1997) had previously discussed on pages 28-29 that needed to be corrected or required further discussions that went beyond the later statements in Oard (1997, p. 31) on cold-climate carbonates. This is why I “belabored” the existence of cold-climate carbonates in my 1999 essay when I made the following comments:
“Oard ([1997], p. 31) also admits that carbonates are being found in modern cold climates. However, he ([1997], p. 31) cites Deynoux et al. (1994, p. xiv) and simply dismisses polar and subpolar carbonates as being minor, biological, and unlike the carbonates associated with pre-Pleistocene glacial deposits. Walter and Bauld (1983), on the other hand, argue that carbonates in the coastal lagoons of northern Canada and Siberia are very similar to the Late Precambrian deposits. Eyles (1993, p. 108) also cites Fairchild and Spiro (1990) and Fairchild et al. (1989) to argue that Late Proterozoic lacustrine rocks in Spitsbergen are directly comparable to modern saline lake deposits in Antarctica.”
“Dolomite does not readily precipitate from most natural waters (Blatt et al., 1980, p. 512-519). However, in some cases, the mineral may form in warm subsurface environments from reactions between magnesium-rich brines or groundwaters and calcite-rich (limy) muds and limestones (Blatt et al., 1980, p. 519-528). Suitably warm subsurface conditions could exist in almost any area, including areas with cold surface climates.”
Oard (2009a, p. 120) also claims that “rapid” oscillations between glaciations and warm climates during the Late Precambrian are somehow inconsistent with actualism. Of course, while Mr. Oard believes in a rapid Flood that only lasted about one year, geologists consider extreme climatic changes over tens of thousands to a million years to be “rapid” considering the long history of the Earth. Such "rapid" changes in climate over many thousands or a million years need not violate the laws of chemistry and physics under actualism. Specifically, Hoffman and Schrag (2002, p. 144) argue that the transition between a very cold Late Precambrian glaciation and the warm conditions that precipitated the carbonate caps could have occurred within one million years (also see Maruyama and Santosh, 2008, p. 23). Although probably not as severe, several glaciations and warm interglacial events have occurred just within the past one million years. On the other hand, as mentioned above, Retallack (2011) argues that at least the Late Precambrian Australian cap carbonates that he studied are not records of "abrupt global warming."
While discussing the length of time required for the deposition of the carbonates and the evidence used to support it, Allen and Etienne (2008, pp. 822-823) conclude:
“A prolongation of the period of carbonate deposition during deglaciation (one or two million years) has been proposed independently using correlation of carbon isotopic profiles, geochemical arguments and on the basis of the occurrence of several magnetic reversals with the 'cap carbonate' [reference numbers removed].”
Based on magnetic reversals, Kilner et al. (2005, p. 415) estimated that the Oman Hadash dolostone cap could have taken at least 100,000 to 1 million years to form. Fairchild and Kennedy (2007, p. 901) reviewed paleomagnetic data and lateral stratigraphic studies on cap carbonates and concluded that their depositions occurred over time scales approaching 1 million years. Although the possible precipitation of cap carbonates over thousands to about 1 million years is “very rapid” by geologic standards, they are orders of magnitude too slow for Flood geology.
Font et al. (2010, p. 215) argue that magnetic reversals and other data generally provide dates of 3-12 million years for the duration of the Late Precambrian glaciations. Font et al. (2010, p. 223) also discuss how weathering, organisms and water chemistry would affect the precipitation rates of the Brazilian cap dolostones that they studied:
“The calculated precipitation rates for microbially-induced dolomite yield a duration of 10,000 to 400,000 years, assuming no interruption of the sedimentation. Considerations relative to the modeled carbonate weathering rate point to a minimum of 400,000 years to dissolve enough carbonate to yield calcium and continentally-derived alkalinity in sufficient amounts to precipitate the cap dolostones. A much longer duration, at least 2 Ma [million years] or even more, is required to reach the conditions of maximum silicate weathering, as can be observed from elemental and isotopic data. Taken together, all these approaches support the possibility that cap dolostone deposition lasted for a few tens to a few hundreds of thousands of years (104-105 yrs), hence the ice retreat was in the same range. This is much longer than first suggested by comparison with the deglaciation following the LGM [Last Glacial Maximum, about 21,000 years ago].”
Supporters of the Snowball Earth hypothesis advocate shorter deposition times of 1,000 to 10,000 years for the cap carbonates (Font et al., 2010, p. 223). Although this shorter time span is technically within YEC requirements, Oard (2009a, p. 111) calls the Snowball Earth hypothesis “highly dubious.”
So, how do extreme changes in climate over tens of thousands to a million years result in actualism taking me “further and further away from scientific reality” as Oard (2009a, p. 120) claims? It doesn’t! This is just another phony argument in Oard (2009a) because Mr. Oard would not study Hoffman and Schrag (2002), Allen and Etienne (2008), Kilner et al. (2005), Fairchild and Kennedy (2007) and other 21st century scientific literature in suitable enough detail to recognize that the data refute his YEC arguments on carbonate caps. The laws of chemistry and physics demand time for calcium and alkalinity to accumulate in surface waters so that carbonates can precipitate. So, how would YECs get substantial calcium and magnesium into the Flood waters without substantially lowering the pH of the waters and killing off aquatic life? Oard and Reed (2009) seem reluctant to invoke miracles, but, contrary to the superficial and groundless approach of Oard (2009a, p. 120), the laws of chemistry and physics can't be violated, circumvented or sped up by simply speculating about “virtually unlimited” supplies of Flood energy.
Late Precambrian Glaciations and the Cambrian Explosion: No Support for Flood Geology
Maruyama and Santosh (2008) mention several researchers that argue that the Late Precambrian glaciations had a role in the evolution of organisms before the “Cambrian Explosion.” While Oard (2009a, p. 120) believes that the Cambrian Explosion is an “additional obstacle” to oscillations in Late Precambrian climates, Maruyama and Santosh (2008, p. 29) argue otherwise and state:
“Snowball Earth time is now considered as 770-635 Ma including Kaigas, Sturtian and Marinoan [glaciations] with two inter-glacial warming periods. However, the Cambrian explosion is thought to have occurred at 520-488 Ma, indicating a time gap of more than 100 Ma, suggesting that there may be no direct relationship between the two events.”
If the two events are spaced apart by 100 million years, how can the Cambrian Explosion be an “additional obstacle” to the glacial-interglacial oscillations in the Late Precambrian as Oard (2009a, p. 120) claims?
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