Question

In the seventeenth century, Archbishop James Ussher of Ireland used the Bible to calculate that the Earth was created in 4004 b.c.e. Imagine you could take Archbishop Ussher to Niagara Falls. Although Niagara Falls is located on the border between the United States and Canada today, it was located several kilometers to the north at the Niagara Escarpment and is eroding southward. Let's assume the rate of erosion is 50 cm/yr. Assuming the distance from the Niagara Escarpment to Niagara Falls is 11 km, use the equation Rate = Distance/Time to calculate how long it would have taken to erode from the Escarpment to the current location of the falls. How would this calculation compare with Archbishop Ussher's assessment of the age of the Earth? Recall that 1km = 100,000 cm

Answer 1

Answer:

Archbishop Ussher’s estimate: 4004 BCE

Niagara Falls erosion time: 22,000 years

The age of Niagara Falls, based on erosion rates, significantly exceeds Archbishop Ussher’s assessment of the Earth’s age. The geological processes shaping our planet unfold over vast timescales, and Niagara Falls serves as a testament to the gradual changes that occur over millennia