In another attempt to "come to grips with the creationists' continuing research program at Grand Canyon", I consulted another of the references cited in Vail (2003, p. 103). Dr. Vardiman (1999) offers an even more startling insight into creationists' geological thinking. He discusses the problem of the occurrence of animal tracks in the Coconino Sandstone, just below the rim of the Canyon, as follows:
"Another fascinating mystery is why there were animals leaving footprints so late in the flood. … Dinosaur tracks which are often found in the Morrison formation are located at even higher levels in the geologic strata. It would appear that some animals were able to escape the water until later in the flood. Many were strong swimmers but they may have migrated to higher ground or clung to floating vegetation and were killed later as the waters finally reached them. Dr. John Baumgardner, a research scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory, has suggested that circulating water inundating the continents may have formed giant whirlpools with dry floors near the center until late in the flood. This may have allowed animals near the center of the continents to initially escape the flood waters but were then overwhelmed when the events of the flood reached their zenith." (Vardiman, 1999, p.17).
The Morrison Formation occurs approximately 10,000 ft above the crystalline basement rocks. A simple calculation of the centrifugal force necessary to sustain a whirlpool 10, 000 ft deep and with a radius of 5, 000 ft requires its base to rotate at approximately 4,000 ft/sec (27,000 mph)! We see footprints of dinosaurs, but where are the footprints of these supersonic whirlpools?