Paleolithic Channel settlements?

Rokcet Scientist · Post by **Rokcet Scientist** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:06 pm

Megaflood 'made Island Britain'
By Jonathan Amos
Science reporter, BBC News

The megaflood made Britain what it is today, geographically.

Britain became separated from mainland Europe after a catastrophic flood some time before 200,000 years ago, a sonar study of the English Channel confirms.

The images reveal deep scars on the Channel bed that must have been cut by a sudden, massive discharge of water.

Scientists tell the journal Nature that the torrent probably came from a giant lake in what is now the North Sea.

Some event - perhaps an earthquake - caused the lake's rim to breach at the Dover Strait, they believe.

Dr Sanjeev Gupta, from Imperial College London, and colleagues say the discharge would have been one of the most significant megafloods in recent Earth history, and provides an explanation for Britain's island status.

[...]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/6904675.stm

Post by **Minimalist** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:35 pm

Anyone build an Ark?

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:21 pm

...Britain became separated from mainland Europe after a catastrophic flood some time before 200,000 years ago, a sonar study of the English Channel confirms.

The images reveal deep scars on the Channel bed that must have been cut by a sudden, massive discharge of water.

Scientists tell the journal Nature that the torrent probably came from a giant lake in what is now the North Sea.

Some event - perhaps an earthquake - caused the lake's rim to breach at the Dover Strait, they believe...

The Sangamonian Interglacial (sensu lato) lasted from 80,000 to ca. 220,000 BP. The Illinoian glacial advance occurred 220,000 to 430,000 BP. Perhaps rapid meltdown of glaciers is to blame?

Forum Monk · Post by **Forum Monk** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 7:36 pm

Charlie Hatchett wrote:The Sangamonian Interglacial (sensu lato) lasted from 80,000 to ca. 220,000 BP. The Illinoian glacial advance occurred 220,000 to 430,000 BP. Perhaps rapid meltdown of glaciers is to blame?

Perhaps, but I doubt the glaciers melted rapidly. It takes a lot of calories to melt a glacier.

Post by **Minimalist** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:01 pm

They don't melt rapidly but they do seem to melt into large lakes which sooner or later let go and take a lot of things in their path.

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:04 pm

Forum Monk wrote:
Charlie Hatchett wrote:The Sangamonian Interglacial (sensu lato) lasted from 80,000 to ca. 220,000 BP. The Illinoian glacial advance occurred 220,000 to 430,000 BP. Perhaps rapid meltdown of glaciers is to blame?
Perhaps, but I doubt the glaciers melted rapidly. It takes a lot of calories to melt a glacier.

Minimalist wrote:They don't melt rapidly but they do seem to melt into large lakes which sooner or later let go and take a lot of things in their path.

True. I guess a rapid meltdown isn't necessary. Just a constant flow of additional water. Seems things were thawing out right around 200,000 B.P.

Rokcet Scientist · Post by **Rokcet Scientist** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:18 am

Charlie Hatchett wrote:
Minimalist wrote:They don't melt rapidly but they do seem to melt into large lakes which sooner or later let go and take a lot of things in their path.
True. I guess a rapid meltdown isn't necessary. Just a constant flow of additional water. Seems things were thawing out right around 200,000 B.P.

The speed of melting is moot here, methinks. It doesn't really matter at what particular point in time 'dams' breach. Imo, the point is that they do breach, sooner or later!
The Mediterranean, the Black Sea, the Great lakes, the Channel, etc. etc.

The Himalaya glaciers are the current 'hotspot' for 'breach threats': http://observer.guardian.co.uk/internat ... 56,00.html, threatening the lives and livelihoods of millions of people.

Post by **Minimalist** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:24 am

Those people live in constant threat anyway. What's one more?

In'sh Allah!

Post by **Minimalist** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:37 am

Oh, and for those who might be, if not exactly "interested" then "amused" it is being reported at Koko's that Arch is now on a Christian Forum holding that this flood is proof of friggin' Noah. Even though its in the wrong place at the wrong time Arch just KNOWS that Noah was involved.

He's apparently getting his head handed to him by other christians!

Mayonaze · Post by **Mayonaze** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 8:58 am

Here's a paper about a glacier-melt lake in my area that used to empty annually until about 35 years ago. Maybe something like this but on a much more massive scale was at work at/near the Channel?

http://pubs.aina.ucalgary.ca/arctic/Arctic16-1-26.pdf

Starflower · Post by **Starflower** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 10:04 am

Very informative article mayo. I enjoyed reading it and learned a new term, varves which can be used like tree rings to discover the age of these glacial melt lakes.
Min, nice to know that Arch is alive and well and still antagonizing people all over the web.

Star

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 11:22 am

[quote]Anyone build an Ark?[quote]

We'd go to almost any lengths to keep the Frogs out Min. Even digging the ENGLISH Channel!

Charlie Hatchett · Post by **Charlie Hatchett** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 12:04 pm

He's apparently getting his head handed to him by other christians!

Yeah, your Flood Model types think the Cambrian through Cretaceous strata (and possibly early parts of the Tertiary) is the flood strata. I'm guessing the carved up chalk is Cretaceous, which means it was layed down before this hypothesized dam burst.

Digit · Post by **Digit** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:10 pm

I'm guessing the carved up chalk is Cretaceous,

It is Charlie. To be fair to all who have a flood story, they are beginning to look more and more like history though.

Forum Monk · Post by **Forum Monk** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 1:10 pm

Its true that ice-dams form from glaciers as they block rivers and streams and when they break the results can be catastrophic. We see evidence of these events in the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. http://www.iafi.org/ and central asia.

But I think the terrain must be suited to the formation of ice-dams in the first place. I am not aware of many major ice dams which have occurred in non-moutainous regions.