Re: Physics of a Mesopotamian Flood

Glenn Morton (GRMorton@gnn.com)
Fri, 10 May 1996 21:20:45

>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.

I had too many replies going last time. Sorry not to have responded.

Your suggestion will explain how Noah could have stayed on the ark for a
year and not have been flushed out into the Persian Gulf. But it will not
explain how the ark was lifted and landed in or near Turkey were Dick
seems to want it to land.

The worst issue is not how much time the ark was grounded The worst
issue is how to lift the ark 2500 feet by means of water which flows
downhill I am not assuming that it was deep enough to lift the ark
1500-8500 feet. Dick is. He wants the ark to start out near sea-level
and land in Turkey elevation 3000+. This requires the ark to be pushed
uphill. I don't care if the ark was grounded 90% of the time. Water
flows downhill always and everytime. So if the ark was grounded 99% of
the time, each flash flood which raised it up would drag it further
DOWNHILL. I admit to being frustrated here. I have rarely had such
trouble getting across the concept that water and things floating on it
flow downhill and not up. I am beginning to wonder if I am a slider on
that Fox network TV show.

>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.

I am not too concerned with that particular observation. I have always
felt that 15 cubis was the draught of the ark. But your explanation might
be correct. But even so, the water coming down the wadi is going
downhill. How did it push the ark uphill?

glenn
Foundation,Fall and Flood
http://members.gnn.com/GRMorton/dmd.htm