In answer to Dr. Andrew Snelling’s response to our critique of his articles regarding the Tonto Group in the Grand Canyon, this reply seeks to again demonstrate that these units were not deposited during Noah’s flood. If the units had been deposited by such a flood, we would expect to find certain characteristics that are absent. There are also features that we do find that tell us that the deposits formed more slowly, with significant pauses. Dr. Snelling has provided his response, but there are many examples where his responses are inadequate. 

We also reply to his response regarding when the Tonto units were hardened and folded. He rejects our interpretation that the Tonto Group was at least partially turned from sands and mud to stone before the folding event occurred. We, however, recognize that the rocks were never hot enough or under enough pressure to either be metamorphosed or to show some of the microstructures that can occur with deformation at higher temperatures and pressures. For example, data from the nearby Palisades fault blocks demonstrate that, in places at least, the Tapeats Sandstone was turned to stone and then shattered by the deformation. This only would have occurred if the sands had been cemented before the tectonic folding occurred.