Radiohalos in Granites: Evidence for Accelerated Nuclear Decay | The Institute for Creation Research

 
Radiohalos in Granites: Evidence for Accelerated Nuclear Decay

Download PDFDownload Radiohalos in Granites: Evidence for Accelerated Nuclear Decay PDF

RATE II: Radioisotopes and the Age of The Earth: Results of a Young-Earth Creationist Research Initiative, (Volume II), L. Vardiman et al., eds. (San Diego, CA: Institute for Creation Research and the Creation Research Society, 2005)

Abstract

The ubiquitous presence of 238U and 210Po, 214Po, and 218Po radiohalos in the same biotite flakes within granitic plutons formed during the Flood falsifies the hypothesis that all granites and Po radiohalos were created, but testifies to the simultaneous formation of these radiohalos. Thus if the Po radiohalos were formed in just a few days while the fully-formed 238U radiohalos were simultaneously generated by at least 100 million years worth (at today’s rates) of radioactive decay, radioisotope decay had to have been accelerated. Therefore, conventional radioisotope dating of rocks based on assuming constancy of decay rates is grossly in error. Accelerated radioisotope decay of 238U in zircons within the biotites rapidly formed the 238U radiohalos and produced large quantities of the short-lived 222Rn and Po isotopes. Hydrothermal fluids released by the cooling granitic magmas then transported those isotopes along the biotites’ cleavage planes to deposit the Po isotopes in chemically conducive, adjacent lattice defect sites, on average only 1 mm or less distant. The hydrothermal fluids progressively replenished the supply of Po isotopes to the deposition sites as the Po isotopes decayed to form the Po radiohalos. Because of the annealing of -tracks above 150°C, all the radiohalos only formed below 150°C. However, the U-decay and hydrothermal fluid transport started while the granitic rocks were crystallizing at higher temperatures. Therefore, the granitic magmas must have cooled rapidly or else the short-lived Po isotopes would have decayed before radiohalos could have formed. It is thus estimated that granitic plutons must have cooled within 6–10 days, and that the various Po radiohalos formed within hours to just a few days. The heat generated by accelerated radioisotope decay and tectonic processes during the Flood would have annealed all radiohalos in Precambrian (pre-Flood) granitic rocks at that time, so the few radiohalos now observed in these granitic rocks had to have formed subsequently by secondary hydrothermal fluid transport of 222Rn and Po isotopes in their biotites during the Flood. While convective flows of hydrothermal fluids moved and dissipated heat from granitic plutons in days, that mechanism alone would not seem capable of removing the enormous quantities of heat generated by accelerated radioisotope decay over that brief timescale. Other mechanisms must have operated to allow for the survival of the biotites and their 238U and Po radiohalos. The discovery of plentiful Po radiohalos in metamorphic rocks extends the application of the hydrothermal fluid transport model for Po radiohalo formation to these rocks. This confirms that hydrothermal fluids transformed deeply-buried sedimentary rocks to regional metamorphic complexes, which then had to have cooled within days for the Po radiohalos to have formed. Additionally, the prolific Po radiohalos found in granitic and metamorphic rocks and veins that host metallic ore lodes reflect the passage of the hydrothermal fluids that transported and deposited the metallic ores. This suggests such hydrothermal ore veins formed rapidly, and that Po radiohalos could provide an exploration tool for locating new ore lodes. Thus Po radiohalos provide powerful evidence of many rapid geological processes consistent with both the year-long catastrophic global Biblical Flood, and a young earth.

Keywords

radiohalos, granite, nuclear decay, RATE II

For Full Text

Please see the Download PDF link above for the entire article.

The Latest
CREATION.LIVE PODCAST
Searching for Truth Across the Globe | Creation.Live Podcast:...
How can we bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the truth of creation to others outside our small spheres of influence?   Host...

NEWS
Marine Mammals: Designed for Deep Diving
While you’re reading this, hold your breath. What is now happening is your blood is delivering the last of oxygenated blood cells to your tissues...

CREATION PODCAST
Humanity's Demise at the Hands of Genetic Entropy | The Creation...
Welcome to the fourth episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
''Inside-Out'' Fossil is Amazingly Preserved
It is widely known that vast numbers of fossils—vertebrate and invertebrate—have been discovered incredibly well-preserved.1,2...

NEWS
The Resurrection and the Origin of Life
At Easter time we focus on the cardinal Christian doctrine of the Resurrection. Without the Resurrection, Christianity is a sham. The truth that Jesus...

NEWS
Is an Ancient Extinct Tree-Dweller Our Relative?
Human evolution has always been hazy with seemingly as many attempted explanations for how we evolved from animals as there are paleoanthropologists. Evolutionists...

NEWS
The Return of the Dire Wolf?
There’s been much recent excitement about the birth of three dire wolf (Aenocyon dirus) puppies by a Dallas-based biotech company: Colossal Bioscience....

CREATION PODCAST
Cracks in the Layers: Lake Suigetsu and the Old Earth Illusion...
Welcome to the third episode in a series called “The Failures of Old Earth Creationism.” Many Christians attempt to fit old earth...

NEWS
Fish Fossil Vomit
A rather unsavory news story recently appeared regarding fossilized vomit. Although it’s hardly dinner table conversation, it nonetheless supports...

NEWS
Dino Footprints Down Under
Dinosaur trackways1 are once again making the news. Australia is the setting of a remarkable series of dinosaur tracks attributed to ornithischian...