Re: Physics of a Mesopotamian Flood

Bill Hamilton (hamilton@predator.cs.gmr.com)
Fri, 10 May 1996 09:08:21 -0400

At 9:22 PM 5/9/96 -0400, Glenn Morton wrote:
>Water only has a flat surface when it is in a basin! And if it doesn't
>have a flat surface, it is flowing DOWNHILL towards the Persian Gulf. Your
>model has nothing to hold the water on the south.

I posted this idea before, but got no response (at least I didn't see it).
Glenn, you're assuming that the flood was deep enough 100% of the time to
float the ark. If it was a local flood, or a series of local flash floods,
the ark could have been dragging on the bottom or actually grounded much of
the time. All that would be required to keep Noah inside with the hatch
closed and unable to see precisely what was going on would be sufficient
storm activity outside.
The claim that the water prevailed 15 cubits higher [than the mountains]
could be Noah's estimate of the height of a flash flood descending down a
broad wadi near the ark.

Bill Hamilton | Chassis & Vehicle Systems
GM R&D Center | Warren, MI 48090-9055
810 986 1474 (voice) | 810 986 3003 (FAX)
hamilton@gmr.com (office) | whamilto@mich.com (home)