filemaker01 said:
Again, good research is what counts.
Phil
I couldn't agree more. I did some research myself today.
First let's go all the way back to the beginning of this thread, when filemaker/Phil claims he has found the LAD site.
Phil said:
I know this is a very bold statement but I can prove this with the map made by Adams and an overlay of an aerial view map that shows every landmark on the map
Well, there's a problem with that. Here's the "map made by Adams":
The most prominent landmark is the "Z Canyon". Unfortunately, there is no Z-shaped canyon at the location he has chosen. In fact there is no canyon at all. How does he account for this discrepancy? He tells a story about earthquakes.
When another member pointed out this same discrepancy, Phil answered:
Phil said:
the area where I'm talking about had a couple of very huge earthquakes that took down the tall walls that are now gone, besides the land pennensulla that fell.
So the canyon is gone because of huge earthquakes. This is also covered on the website. He claims there used to be a large canyon wall right here:
This just didn't sound right to me. I grew up in Southern California and have experienced many earthquakes. I lived in Yucca Valley in 1999 and rode out the Hector Mine 7.1 earthquake. And you know what? The topography of the desert did not change.
But that's not real evidence, it's more of an anecdote. Like Phil says, good research is what counts.
So first I used Google Earth and enabled the USGS layer...
This shows only minor earthquakes in the area. The oldest, the 3.9 quake, was in 1969. So I thought I better do some more research. Maybe there were historic quakes. I went to the USGS web site and found info about all the quakes in New Mexico.
New Mexico Earthquake History
USGS site said:
Most of New Mexico's historical seismicity has been concentrated in the Rio Grande Valley between Socorro and Albuquerque. About half of the earthquakes of intensity VI or greater (Modified Mercalli intensity) that occurred in the State between 1868 and 1973 were centered in this region.
The earliest reported earthquake in New Mexico was an intensity V tremor that occurred near Socorro on April 20, 1855. In the years that followed, Socorro was struck by numerous low to moderate intensity earthquakes. Most of these caused little or no damage and were felt over a small area. However, beginning on July 2, 1906, and lasting well into 1907 the area was affected by shocks almost daily. There were three fairly severe shocks in this series. The first was an intensity VII tremor that struck on July 12 and cracked some adobe walls and threw others down. Ground fissures and visible waves on the surface were reported with this earthquake.
Source
Largest Earthquake in New Mexico
USGS said:
This earthquake, which increased the property damage already sustained at Socorro, was described as the most severe shock of the year. Four rebuilt chimneys were shaken off the Socorro County Courthouse, and two others were cracked severely. Plaster fell at the courthouse, and a cornice on the northwest corner of the two-story adobe Masonic Temple was thrown onto its first floor. Several bricks fell from the front gable on one house. Plaster was shaken from walls in Santa Fe, about 200 kilometers from the epicenter. Felt over most of New Mexico and in parts of Arizona and Texas.
Socorro is about 125 miles from "Z Canyon". So there were no major quakes in the purported LAD location according to USGS, who has records all the way back to 1855. But even a 7.0 quake doesn't cause canyons to disappear. Fissures open sometimes. Chimneys topple. Man-made buildings have structural damage on occasion. Topography doesn't change.
And what else does the USGS do besides monitor earthquakes? Geological surveys. It's what the GS stands for. This means sending trained personnel out into the field with survey equipment to measure every hill, every canyon, every mountain.
I think they would have noticed a missing canyon. Probably would have written a report.
Fact: there is no canyon at this location.
Fact: there were no big earthquakes at this location.
Fact: the topography has remained virtually unchanged for centuries.
Therefore, this is not Sno Ta Hay Canyon. Sorry.
Good luck with those effigies.