Established Theory:
When rock is heated to high temperatures such as from a volcano the
rock’s magnetic field will line up with the Earth's magnetic field.
Once it cools, the magnetic field of the rock will remain constant
until it is reheated or broken up. The Earth's magnetic field is
constantly on the move meaning that the magnetic north will wander
around the rotational North Pole thousands of miles. The path of the
Earth's magnetic field has been mapped for the past 10,000 years,
therefore, the magnetic fields of rocks from the past 10,000 years can
be compared to this map to determine age. It is also known that over
the past 2.43 million years the Earth has reversed its magnetic field 8
times (.69, .89, .95, 1.9, 2.0, 2.1, and 2.43 million years ago).
Therefore, a rock whose magnetic field points south is known to have
been formed during one of these 8 intervals. One web site recorded that
this technique has provided a timetable for periods of normal and
reversed polarity, showing 171 reversals in the earth's magnetic field
in the past 76 million years. Another web site reported over 400
reversals in the last 330 million years.
Alternative Theory:
The polarity of rocks can be affected by lightning. The rock can be
kicked around or moved by tree roots. Heavy Volcanic activity during
the flood could have reversed the polarity of the earth several times.
The dates of the 8 polar reversals are made through radiometric dating
of the rock that has been shown to be unreliable.
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