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CHAPTER 3.4
A "CEPHEID VARIABLE" APPROACH TO
PALEOGEOLOGICAL MODELING
If there is one thing that is
abundantly clear in the evidence presented, it is the fact that models of the
locations of continents in the distant past are not to be taken as gospel.
The Standard Theory has India located 4,000 miles away from what I
believe was its true position 65 MYA. How many other significant errors are
there?
Fortunately, Ben's Antipodal Impact Theory has some help for
paleo-geological modelers.
CEPHEID VARIABLE STARS
One
of the big problems in building models is the lack of fixed points of reference
as the model moves backwards in time. Ben's Antipodal Impact Theory can help
with the problem in much the same way that Cepheid variable stars help
astronomers establish distance in space.
In astronomy, Cepheid variable
stars are used as "standard candles" to help determine the distance from earth
to a star in that galaxy. The Cepheid variable star has a constant light value.
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However, scientists were fooled for years by the fact
that there were actually two populations of Cepheid variables; one
significantly dimmer than the other. This confusion caused mismeasurement of
galaxy size and distance.
Now the two types of Cepheids have been
identified and the models have been straightened out. 25 The Cepheid
variable story shows the usefulness of a standard measuring stick and also
offers up a cautionary tale about the use and interpretation of standard
measuring sticks.
IMPACT CRATERS AND ANTIPODAL HOTSPOTS
In paleogeology, the analog for the Cepheid variable star is the
impact crater and its antipodal hotspot.
An impact crater and its
antipodal hotspot can establish the relative position of two different
locations at a specific point in time. With enough of these pairs, modelers
will be able to create a much more certain map of geological history …
especially if one of those sites has additional information, such as the
latitude at which the lava was created.
While there aren't many major
extinctions and their attendant impacts and hotspots, there are significantly
more smaller impacts with hotspots (i.e. Chesapeake Bay). Because smaller
impacts happen more frequently, there will be many more recent pairs to work
with.
However, finding the right pairs can be a challenge. The antipode
of the Chicxulub impact has been estimated to be in several locations.
Nonetheless, this pairing should open up new opportunities for paleogeological
modelers, with greater accuracy as a result.
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