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Dr. John Whitmore

Dr. John Whitmore

M.S. Geology, PhD, Senior Professor of Geology, Logos Research Associate

Dr. John Whitmore is Senior Professor of Geology at Cedarville University where he has been teaching since 1991 and where he supervises the geology program. He has degrees in geology from Kent State University and Institute for Creation Research.  His PhD is in Biology, with an emphasis in Paleontology from Loma Linda University. His research interests involve fossil fish taphonomy in the Green River Formation (Wyoming), the Coconino Sandstone, Grand Canyon geology and placement of Flood boundaries within the rock record. He is co-author of The Heavens and the Earth, a college-level earth science text and has published numerous journal articles, book chapters and magazine articles.  He interprets the geology for annual raft trips down the Colorado River in the Grand Canyon for Answers in Genesis and Canyon Ministries.

Peer-Reviewed Published Papers and Book Chapters:

  • Anderson, C.A., Struble, A. and Whitmore, J.H. 2017. Abrasion resistance of muscovite in Aeolian and subaqueous transport experiments. Aeolian Research, v. 24, p. 33-37.

  • Borsch, K., J.H. Whitmore, R. Strom, and G. Hartree. 2018. The significance of micas in ancient cross-bedded sandstones. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism, ed. J.H. Whitmore, pp. 306-326. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Creation Science Fellowship.

  • Dahmer, L., Kouznetsov, D., Ivenov, A., Hall, J., Whitmore, J. H., Detwiler, G., and Miller, H., 1990, Report on Chemical Analysis and Further Dating of Dinosaur Bones and Dinosaur Petroglypths, in Walsh, R.E., and Brooks, C.L., eds., Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Creationism, Vol. II: Pittsburgh, PA, Creation Science Fellowship, p. 371-374.

  • Fields, W., Miller, H., Whitmore, J., Davis, D., Detwiler, G., Ditmars, J., Whitelaw, R., and Novaez, G., 1990. The Paluxy River Footprints Revisited, in Walsh, R.E., and Brooks, C.L., eds., Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Creationism, Vol. II: Pittsburgh, PA, Creation Science Fellowship, p. 155-175.

  • Maithel, S.A., Garner, P.A. and Whitmore, J.H. 2015. Preliminary assessment of the petrology of the Hopeman Sandstone (Permo-Triassic), Moray Firth Basin, Scotland. Scottish Journal of Geology, v. 51, p. 177-184.

  • Oard, M. J., and Whitmore, J. H. 2006. The Green River Formation of the west-central United States: Flood or post-Flood?: Journal of Creation, v. 20, no. 1, p. 46-49.

  • Ross, M.R., Hoesch, W.A., Austin, S.A., Whitmore, J.H. and Clarey, T.L. 2010. Garden of the Gods at Colorado Springs: Paleozoic and Mesozoic sedimentation and tectonics. In Morgan, L.A., and Quane, S.L., eds., Through the Generations: Geologic and Anthropogenic Field Excursions in the Rocky Mountains from Modern to Ancient: Geological Society of America Field Guide 18, p. 77–93. I wrote the Lyons Sandstone portion of this paper, p. 84-88.

  • Whitmore, J. H. 2006. Difficulties with a Flood model for the Green River Formation: Journal of Creation, v. 20, no. 1, p. 81-85.

  • Whitmore, J. H. 2006. The geologic setting of the Green River Formation: Journal of Creation, v. 20, no. 1, p. 72-78.

  • Whitmore, J. H. 2006. The Green River Formation: A large post-Flood lake system: Journal of Creation, v. 20, no. 1, p. 55-63.

  • Whitmore, J. H., 2005, Origin and significance of sand-filled cracks and other features near the base of the Coconino Sandstone, Grand Canyon, USA: Creation Research Society Quarterly, v. 42, no. 3, p. 163-180.

  • Whitmore, J.H. 1990. The Hartford Basin of Central Connecticut: Multiple Evidences of Catastrophism, in Proceedings of the Second International Conference on Creationism, Vol. II, Walsh, R.E., and Brooks, C.L., eds., Creation Science Fellowship, Pittsburgh, PA, p. 317-326.

  • Whitmore, J.H. 2009. Do Mud Cracks Indicate Multiple Droughts During the Flood?, in: M.J. Oard and J.K. Reed (eds.), Rock Solid Answers, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, p. 167-183.

  • Whitmore, J.H. 2009. Fossil Preservation, in: M.J. Oard and J.K. Reed (eds.), Rock Solid Answers, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, p. 231-244.

  • Whitmore, J.H. 2009. Modern and Ancient Reefs, in: M.J. Oard and J.K. Reed (eds.), Rock Solid Answers, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, p. 149-166.

  • Whitmore, J.H. 2013. The potential and implications of widespread post-Flood erosion and mass wasting processes. Proceedings of the Seventh International Conference of Creationism, Creation Science Fellowship, Pittsburgh, PA.

  • Whitmore, J.H. 2008. Aren’t millions of years required for geological processes?, in K. Ham, ed., The New Answers Book 2, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, p. 229-244.

  • Whitmore, J.H. 2013. What about living fossils? in The New Answers Book 4, K. Ham, ed., pp. 143-150 (Chapter 12). Green Forest, Arkansas: Mater Books.

  • Whitmore, J.H. and Garner, P. 2008. Using Suites of Criteria to Recognize pre-Flood, Flood, and post-Flood Strata in the Rock Record with Application to Wyoming (USA). In A.A. Snelling (editor), Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Creationism, Creation Science Fellowship, Pittsburgh, PA and Institute for Creation Research, Dallas, TX, p. 425-448.

  • Whitmore, J.H. and Strom, R. 2010. Sand injectites at the base of the Coconino Sandstone, Grand Canyon, Arizona, Sedimentary Geology, v. 230, p. 46-59.

  • Whitmore, J.H. and Strom, R. 2017. Rounding of quartz and K-feldspar sand from beach to dune settings along the California and Oregon coastlines: Implications for ancient sandstones. Answers Research Journal 10:259-270.

  • Whitmore, J.H. and Wise, K.P. 2008. Rapid and Early post-Flood Mammalian Diversification Evidenced in the Green River Formation. In A.A. Snelling (editor), Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Creationism, Creation Science Fellowship, Pittsburgh, PA and Institute for Creation Research, Dallas, TX, p. 449-457.

  • Whitmore, J.H., and P.A. Garner. 2018. The Coconino Sandstone (Permian, Arizona, USA): Implications for the origin of ancient cross-bedded sandstones. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism, ed. J.H. Whitmore, pp. 581–627. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Creation Science Fellowship.

  • Whitmore, J.H., and R. Strom. 2018. The significance of angular K-feldspar grains in ancient sandstones. In Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism, ed. J.H. Whitmore, pp. 628-651. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: Creation Science Fellowship.

  • Whitmore, J.H., Forsythe, G., and Garner, P.A. 2015. Intraformational parabolic recumbent folds in the Coconino Sandstone (Permian) and two other formations in Sedona, Arizona (USA). Answers Research Journal, v. 8, p. 21-40.

  • Whitmore, J.H., Strom, R., Cheung, S. and Garner, P.A. 2014. Petrology of the Coconino Sandstone. Answers Research Journal, v. 7, p. 499-532.

  • Woodmorappe, J. and Whitmore, J.H. 2004. Field study of purported hardgrounds of the Cincinnatian, TJ 18(3), p. 82-92.

  • Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism. 2018. I was the Editorial Board Chairman for this volume of 46 technical papers. I was in charge of collecting papers, having papers reviewed and typesetting the 828-page volume.

  • The Heavens and the Earth, 2nd ed. 2016. Coauthors Marcus Ross, Steve Gollmer and Danny Faulkner. Published by Kendall Hunt. 553 pp. I was responsible for five chapters in the book.

  • The Heavens and the Earth. 2015. Coauthors Marcus Ross, Steve Gollmer and Danny Faulkner. Published by Kendall Hunt. 553 pp. I was responsible for five chapters in the book.

  • Davis, B.A., Liston, M.A. and Whitmore, J.H. 1998. The Great Alaskan Dinosaur Adventure, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 137 p. This is a true adventure story based on the journal I kept while in Alaska in 1994. The book is in its third printing.

  • Purdom et al. 2013. Galapagos Islands: A Different View. Master Books, Green Forest, AR. I was one of the many contributors to this book.


Published Books and Proceedings:

  • Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism. 2018. I was the Editorial Board Chairman for this volume of 46 technical papers. I was in charge of collecting papers, having papers reviewed and typesetting the 828-page volume.

  • The Heavens and the Earth, 2nd ed. 2016. Coauthors Marcus Ross, Steve Gollmer and Danny Faulkner. Published by Kendall Hunt. 553 pp. I was responsible for five chapters in the book.

  • The Heavens and the Earth. 2015. Coauthors Marcus Ross, Steve Gollmer and Danny Faulkner. Published by Kendall Hunt. 553 pp. I was responsible for five chapters in the book.

  • Davis, B.A., Liston, M.A. and Whitmore, J.H. 1998. The Great Alaskan Dinosaur Adventure, Master Books, Green Forest, AR, 137 p. This is a true adventure story based on the journal I kept while in Alaska in 1994. The book is in its third printing.

  • Purdom et al. 2013. Galapagos Islands: A Different View. Master Books, Green Forest, AR. I was one of the many contributors to this book.


Recognitions, Awards, Grants:

  • 2016-2017 Faculty Scholar of the Year

  • September 2016. 2016 Distinguished Educator Award, Cedarville University Homecoming.

  • 2007-2008 “Cove Award” for the faculty member who gives outstanding academic support to CU students, presented by the CU Academic Enrichment Center

  • 2007-2008 Cedarville University Faculty Scholar of the Year

  • 2007 recipient of the Faculty Teaching Effectiveness Award (11-20 years of service), Cedarville University

  • Invited to be part of the Institute for Creation Research’s FAST (Flood Activated Sedimentation and Tectonics) project, beginning May 2006. I was awarded a six-year grant for this project beginning in January 2007. Over the six year period, the grant will be in excess of $100,000.

  • June 2003. Elwood McCluskey Award, in recognition of excellence in scholarship, Loma Linda University Department of Natural Sciences, California.

  • Summer 2004. I was awarded a faculty scholar summer research grant ($3,000) from Cedarville University to complete a study on sand-filled cracks at the bottom of the Coconino Sandstone, Grand Canyon, Arizona.

  • Summer 2001. I was awarded a grant ($1,000) from Cedarville University’s Computer Services Department to develop a fossil identification program for my students at Cedarville.

  • Due to my excellent performance in field camp during the summer of 1984, I was awarded a National Association of Geology Teachers (NAGT) summer grant for employment with the United States Geological Survey during the summer of 1985.

  • Achieved rank of Eagle Scout (1979) and earned Silver Palm (1981) which are the highest possible ranks in Boy Scouts of America

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