The Earth’s configuration before and after the flood.
The planet Earth is a sphere comprised of layers, or shells, like an onion. The upper shell is the crust, on the surface on which life as we know it thrives. Originally, the Crust enveloped the planed as a continuous shell. The soil on the surface of the Crust has encircled the planet without a break. Below the crust is the upper and lower mantle shells. The mantle is a molten matter that produces volcanic lava. The mantle extends down to the core of the planet Earth. The upper shell of the core is a less viscous fluid; it does not flow as quickly as the mantle liquid. The lower part of the core is a solid sphere made primarily of iron, with a lesser number of other elements. The solid sphere in the center of the earth produces the magnetic field that serves as a protective shield above the planet.
The planet Earth has, in the past, experienced violent break-up which impacted the crust of the planet more than the lower layers of the planet Earth. Because of the violent break-up, it is not possible now to ascertain the Earth’s original characteristics accurately. The current crust of the planet Earth varies in thickness from approximately three (3) miles (or about 4.8 kilometers) to almost forty-four (44) miles (or approximately seventy kilometers). The bottom of the crust is the sub-oceanic part of the crust which is more uniform in thickness.
The planet Earth in its current configuration has several large and several smaller plates called “tectonic plates.” (There are fifteen known tectonic plates) Tectonic plates are in constant motion which causes earthquakes. The tectonic plates have a memory of where they were before the geologic upheaval, so they are trying to get back to their original location. Deep sub-oceanic cracks or tranches now surround the Pacific Ocean. These tranches are the source of most of the earthquakes that occur on the planet Earth. Violent upheaval created most of the current mountains on the Earth.
The Creator, at the end of the creation narrative, declared the Earth to be “very good.” However, even without the biblical narrative, we could conclude that the current configuration of the planet is not so good, it is not exactly the way it came out of the hands of the Creator. Humankind messed it up.
What was the original condition of the Earth? The answer is in the next Blog.
