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Re: Different seas have an impenetrable barrier between them - Qur'an 55:20 scientific error refuted


مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ * بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ
"He released the two seas, meeting together: Between them is a Barrier Which they do not transgress." [Al-Quran 55:19-20]

In the Arabic text the word barzakh means a barrier or a partition. This barrier is not a physical partition. The Arabic word maraja literally means ‘they both meet and mix with each other’. Early commentators of the Quran were unable to explain the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e. they meet and mix, and at the same time, there is a barrier between them.

 Modern Science has discovered that in the places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has its own temperature, salinity and density. [Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93] Oceanologists are now in a better position to explain this verse. There is a slanted unseen water barrier between the two seas through which water from one sea passes to the other.
But when the water from one sea enters the other sea, it loses its distinctive characteristic and becomes homogenized with the other water. In a way this barrier serves as a transitional homogenizing area for the two waters. This scientific phenomenon mentioned in the Quran was also confirmed by Dr. William Hay who is a well-known marine scientist and Professor of Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, U.S.A. The Quran mentions this phenomenon also in the following verse: "And made a separating bar between the two bodies Of flowing water?" [Al-Quran 27:61]
This phenomenon occurs in several places, including the divider between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean at Gibralter. But when the Quran speaks about the divider between fresh and salt water, it mentions the existence of "a forbidding partition" with the barrier. "It is He Who has Let free the two bodies Of flowing water: One palatable and sweet, And the other salty and bitter; Yet has He Made a barrier between them, And a partition that is forbidden To be passed." [Al-Quran 25:53]
Modern science has discovered that in estuaries, where fresh (sweet) and salt-water meet, the situation is somewhat different from that found in places where two seas meet. It has been discovered that what distinguishes fresh water from salt water in estuaries is a "pycnocline zone with a marked density discontinuity separating the two layers." [Oceanography, Gross, p. 242. Also see Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.] This partition (zone of separation) has salinity different from both the fresh water and the salt water. [Oceanography, Gross, p. 244 and Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.]
This phenomenon occurs in several places, including Egypt, where the river Nile flows into the Mediterranean Sea.

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Article #1:
The following picture and quotes are from NASA.  Notice how the NASA scientist used the words: separates, barrier:
"This image is a mosaic of two photographs taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station viewing large internal waves in the Strait of Gibraltar. These subsurface internal waves occur at depths of about 100 m, but appear in the sunglint as giant swells flowing eastward into the Mediterranean Sea.

The narrow Strait of Gibraltar is the gatekeeper for water exchange between the Atlantic Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. A top layer of warm, relatively fresh water from the Atlantic Ocean flows eastward into the Mediterranean Sea. In return, a lower, colder, saltier layer of water flows westward into the North Atlantic ocean.
A density boundary separates the layers at about 100 m depth.

Like traffic merging on a highway, the water flow is constricted in both directions
because it must pass over a shallow submarine barrier, the Camarinal Sill. When large tidal flows enter the Strait, internal waves (waves at the density boundary layer) are set off at the Camarinal Sill as the high tide relaxes. The waves—sometimes with heights up to 100 m — travel eastward. Even though the waves occur at great depth and the height of the waves at the surface is almost nothing, they can be traced in the sunglint because they concentrate the biological films on the water surface, creating slight differences in roughness.

In this image, the tidal bore creates internal waves (top arrow) that propagate eastward and expand outward into the Mediterranean in a big arc (near bottom). Other features can be traced in the sun’s reflections. Linear and V-shaped patterns (bottom arrow) are wakes of ships, providing evidence for the heavy ship traffic through the narrow waters between Spain and Morocco.

Water features in the sunglint pattern appear to the astronaut to be extremely transient, visible only briefly (a few seconds) as the spacecraft passes rapidly overhead. Photographs from space of the ocean sunglint pattern are a tool for studying physical oceanographic and atmospheric processes and other phenomena that affect surface roughness."
  (Source)
  
Article #2:
http://eol.jsc.nasa.gov/newsletter/uft/uft2.htm

Strait of Gibraltar [STS41G-40-050]
 
Highlighted by the sunglint, internal waves called "solitons" can be seen arching through the Strait of Gibraltar into the Mediterranean Sea. Once a day the high tide produces sufficient energy to propagate solitons atop the strong density boundary between the heavier, more saline bottom water flowing west and the lighter, fresher Atlantic water flowing east. The Strait is shallow enough to allow the internal waves (up to 60 meters in amplitude) to manifest themselves as crests (no more than 10 centimeters high) on the sea surface. During World War II, German U-boats were able to silence their motors and ride these internal waves undetected into the Mediterranean.
And in regards to the Miracle of the Internal Waves in the seas and oceans, the Glorious Quran mentioned it 1,500 years ago:

  • Darkness in the seas and internal waves in the Noble Quran, confirmed by science.
      
  • Waves and layers upon waves and layers in the seas.
      
  • Oceanography and the layers of waves and darkness in the seas.

  •   
    Article #3:
    This article also quotes NASA.  Notice how the author used the word "separates":
    "Solitons are migrating waves that - once they have been activated - keep on moving constantly with the same wave height and interval. Thus these waves move over a long distance without changing their characteristics.
    These waves were first discovered by John Scott Russell in a river. He observed that a wave packet (several waves), that was caused by a boat abruptly stopping didn’t subside as usual, but continued running upstream without changing its height, form or interval. He followed the waves upstream on the back of his horse. From that time on, his interest was awaken and he started researching about these waves he called “waves of transition”.
    There are different ways which such waves might be produced. In the Strait of Gibraltar this happens mainly by the change of high tide to low tide (thus the name). The waves are activated by a higher sill on the Atlantic coast of the Strait and by the narrowness of the Strait. The shallowest area is situated on the Atlantic and Moroccan side and is called Camarinal Sill. The Strait is only 290 m deep at that point.
    Eli pic2
    Figure: topographical map of the Strait of Gibraltar, where you can see the shallowest point, Camarinal Sill.
    Source:
    http://www.ifm.uni-hamburg.de/ers-sar/Sdata/oceanic/intwaves/gibraltar/intro/
    The second reason of the formation of such a wave packet is the fact, that there are two main currents in the Strait of Gibraltar: a salted one in high depth, that flows from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean and another one less salty in the upper 100 - 200 meters, that flows from the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea. This situation results in a Halocline, a salinity gradient (density layer) that separates the salty layer from the less salty one. The depth of the halocline depends on the underground, the currents and the tides.
    At the turn of the tides there happens a depression of the density layer. This depression is especially important at the lower sills in the beginning of the Strait of Gibraltar. After the change of the tidal current an intern tidal wave is activated in about 100 m depth. This wave is the beginning of a wave packet of intern Solitons that migrate far into the Mediterranean Sea.
    Eli pic3
    Figure: edited satellite photo of the strait of Gibraltar. Tidal wave activated at Camarinal Sill which leads to solitons that migrate far into the Mediterranean Sea. Source:
    http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Newsroom/NewImages/images.php3?img_id=16581]
    These waves may be recognized on the surface as a relatively intense swell. They may also be seen from the outer-space, as in general there is a high concentration of biological films.
    As I am very interested in these waves, it was an exciting experience to see these solitons in reality."  (Source)
      
    Article #4:
    "In the Arabic text the word 'barzakh' means a barrier or a partition. The Arabic word 'maraja' literally means 'they both meet and mix with each other.' Early commentators of the QUR'AN were unable to explain the two opposite meanings for the two bodies of water, i.e. they meet and mix, and at the same time, there is a barrier between them. Modern Science has discovered that in places where two different seas meet, there is a barrier between them. This barrier divides the two seas so that each sea has ita own temperature, salinity and density. {Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.} Oceanologists are now in a better position to explain this verse. There is a slanted unseen water barrier between the seas through which water from one sea passes to the other. But when the water from one sea enters the other sea, it loses its distinctive characteristic and becomes homogenized with the other water. In a way this barrier serves as a transitional homogenizing area for the two waters. This scientific phenonmenon mentioned in the QUR'AN was also confirmed by Dr. William Hay who is a well-known marine scientist and Professor og Geological Sciences at the University of Colorado, U.S.A."  (Source)
      
    Article #5:
    Atheist Richard Dawkins refuted by Muslim girls on Halocline Phenomenon and Scientific Miracle in the Noble Quran.  Click to watch video.
      
      
    3-  Conclusion:
    Again, the Noble Quran is filled with scientific statements and notions.  These are statements of Allah Almighty describing how He created things on earth and in the Universe.  What's most amazing is that all of these scientific statements and notions had been proven to be in perfect agreement with science and our modern-day scientific discoveries.  Allah Almighty made the Noble Quran be Prophet Muhammad's (peace be upon him) Everlasting Divine Miracle and proof for Prophethood.  The Holy Book certainly stood the test of time 1,500 years ago with Its Claims, Prophecies and Miraculous language-eloquence, and it does again and again in our day today with Its overwhelming agreement with science and discoveries that were not known to man 1,500 years ago.
    Allah Almighty Said: "We will soon show them Our signs in the Universe and inside their selves, until it will become quite clear to them that it is the truth. Is it not sufficient as regards your Lord that He is a witness over all things?  (The Noble Quran, 41:53)"

    Related topics:  

    Where the Rivers Meet the Sea 

    The Miracle of separating the seas' waters from each others (with barriers)  



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