Mentor
Corbit, Aaron
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
Fall 2025
Abstract
The Coconino Sandstone, a Permian rock layer found in the western United States, is a topic of debate among standard geologists and flood geologists. The conventional geological interpretation claims the sandstone is an eolian deposit, meaning the sediments were deposited by wind (McKee, 1979; Selley, 1968). In their view, key elements of the sandstone, like the cross-stratified beds, high degree of frosting, and the animal trackways, confirm the Coconino’s similarity to modern eolian dunes (McKee, 1979). As this rock layer is sandwiched between layers typically interpreted by flood geologists as being deposited during the flood, the idea that the Coconino Sandstone was once an area of dry sand dunes deposited by wind is problematic for flood geologists. Recent evidence from analysis of the sandstone composition has caused flood geologists to herald the plausibility of the subaqueous deposition of Coconino sandstone (Whitmore & Garner, 2018). Other research has concluded that the animal trackways created in underwater environments are similar to tracks found in the sandstone (Brand & Tang, 1991). To create the observed cross-stratifications in an underwater environment, flood geologists have proposed a mechanism inspired by modern sand waves (Snelling & Austin, 1992). In my opinion, flood geologists present compelling evidence for the subaqueous deposition of Coconino sandstone, but I do not believe their arguments should be considered evidence for a global Biblical flood.
Recommended Citation
Schneider, Emily, "Science, Sand, and Faith: Exploring Competing Explanations of Coconino Sandstone" (2025). Science, Faith, and Origins. 2.
https://knowledge.e.southern.edu/sfo/2