The Age, Origin and Evolution of Granite

Roger Hopkins

doi:10.67690/jtcc2h42

The Age, Origin and Evolution of Granite

Authors

R. Hopkins

Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.67690/jtcc2h42

Abstract

Granite is the defining coarse-grained rock of the continental crust, and its origin has attracted interpretations ranging from the mainstream igneous model to various aqueous and catastrophic proposals. This paper examines how granite forms, why granite bodies so often appear as rounded masses, and how granite is dated. Working from field observation and the mainstream geological literature, I argue three points. First, granite is a crystallized silicate melt emplaced and cooled slowly within the crust, a conclusion supported by its texture, its mineralogy, and its field relationships. Second, the rounded forms that dominate granite landscapes are produced predominantly by weathering acting in place. Third, the radiometric ages returned by granite, which run from millions to billions of years, are consistent across independent isotopic systems. I then assess the young-earth creationist proposal that granite plutons formed and cooled within a single year-long flood and conclude it is an inadequate explanation.

Author Biography

R. Hopkins

Roger Hopkins is a world famous stone mason, best known for his television appearances on History channel and PBS shows like This Old House and the NOVA "Secrets of Lost Empires" series and educated in Geosciences from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

References

Bowen, N. L. (1928). The Evolution of the Igneous Rocks. Princeton University Press.

Bonar, A. L., Soreghan, G. S., & colleagues. (2023). Assessing weathering, pedogenesis, and silt generation in granitoid-hosted soils from contrasting hydroclimates. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 128(7), e2023JF007095. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007095

Clarke, D. B. (1992). Granitoid Rocks. Chapman & Hall.

Farley, K. A. (2000). Helium diffusion from apatite: General behavior as illustrated by Durango fluorapatite. Journal of Geophysical Research, 105(B2), 2903–2914.

Gentry, R. V. (1974). Radiohalos in a radiochronological and cosmological perspective. Science, 184(4142), 62–66.

Henke, K. R. (2010). Dr. Humphreys’ young-earth helium diffusion dates: Numerous fundamental flaws. TalkOrigins Archive.

Humphreys, D. R. (2005). Young helium diffusion age of zircons supports accelerated nuclear decay. In L. Vardiman, A. A. Snelling, & E. F. Chaffin (Eds.), Radioisotopes and the Age of the Earth, Vol. 2. Institute for Creation Research.

Isaac, R. (2007). Assessing the RATE project. Perspectives on Science and Christian Faith, 59(2), 143–146.

Loechelt, G. H. (2009). Fenton Hill revisited: The retention of helium in zircons and the case for accelerated nuclear decay. TalkOrigins Archive.

Ollier, C. D. (1971). Causes of spheroidal weathering. Earth-Science Reviews, 7(3), 127–141.

Reiners, P. W. (2005). Zircon (U–Th)/He thermochronometry. Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, 58(1), 151–179.

Snelling, A. A. (2008). Catastrophic granite formation: Rapid melting of source rocks, and rapid magma intrusion and cooling. Answers Research Journal, 1, 11–25.

Twidale, C. R. (1971). Causes of spheroidal weathering. Earth-Science Reviews, 7(3), 127–141. https://doi.org/10.1016/0012-8252(71)90005-5

Twidale, C. R., & Vidal Romaní, J. R. (2005). Landforms and Geology of Granite Terrains. A. A. Balkema.

Winter, J. D. (2010). Principles of Igneous and Metamorphic Petrology (2nd ed.). Prentice Hall.

Jiang, C.-H., Wang, D., Du, D.-H., & Wang, X.-L. (2023). Estimation of an ephemeral cooling for silicic magma reservoirs using thermal simulation. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 241, 105442. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseaes.2022.105442

The ScienceDirect page lists it as Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, volume 241, article 105442, published January 2023, with that DOI.

Cover Image