Making Waves Over Noah's Flood (Black Sea)

Newsday ^ | 1-14-2002 | Robert Cooke

[blam]

Making Waves Over Noah’s Flood

Some research backs the biblical story and some finds no evidence of the catastrophe

By Robert Cooke
STAFF WRITER

January 14, 2003

Scientists are seriously challenging a recent, fascinating proposal that Noah's epic story - setting sail with an ark jam-full of animal couples - was based on an actual catastrophic flood that suddenly filled the Black Sea 7,500 years ago, forcing people to flee.

In a detailed new look at the rocks, sediments, currents and seashells in and around the Black Sea, an international research team pooh-poohs the Noah flood idea, arguing that all the geologic, hydrologic and biologic signs are wrong. Little that the earth can tell us seems to fit the Noah story, they say.

The new research takes direct aim at the work of two Columbia University geologists - William Ryan and Walter Pitman - whose proposal in 1997 ignited much new interest, and much new research, into Middle East history and geology.

According to Ryan and Pitman, their strong evidence shows that sudden flooding of the Black Sea did occur, and they think it was such a traumatic event that it became part of the folklore of ancient peoples of the Middle East, showing up vividly in the Bible.

Ryan and Pitman's bold proposal, first published in a marine geology journal, holds that the gradual rise of sea level at the end of the last Ice Age eventually overtopped and washed out a fragile natural barrier across what is now the Bosporus Strait. And once the barrier fell, it set off a catastrophe for settlers living in a huge basin to the northeast.

As the fragile barrier across the Bosporus collapsed, Ryan and Pitman proposed, a massive amount of seawater surged from the Mediterranean into what was then a stagnant, low-lying basin, the huge region now filled by the Black Sea. According to their scenario, the surge of seawater continued for about two years, until the major inland sea reached its present size.

[blam]

I trust Ryan and Pittman. Click on the source for the complete article.

[blam]

You asked to be pinged.

[rface]

sounds like it might have happened...

[justshe]

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[Dog Gone]

Well, it does seem rather incomplete to state definitively what was happening in the Black Sea area by studying core samples from the Mediterranean side of the Bosporus.

I would think that cores taken on the Black Sea side would be more indicative of whether material washed in during the scenario Ryan and Pittman envision.

[billbears]

Noah's ark ping

[CobaltBlue]

Either way, the coolest part is the fact that things on the bottom of the Black Sea are so well-preserved. Looking forward to the results of more explorations.

[blam]

ping.

[TLBSHOW]

Noah was right but no one listened and they called Noah insane and crazy in his day didn't they?
Like they do in this day.

But the Floods came and washed em all away......

[SkyPilot]

There was an article in Time or Newsweek a few years ago about a brilliant geologist who specialized in hydro-mechanics and fluid dynamics. He wrote a paper and a computer model regarding high velocity hydro-erosion that postulated that so many of our modern geology and rock formations must have been manufactured by a sudden retreat of water---and by sudden---he meant sudden, not thousands or millions of years.

I wish I could remember his name--because it was a fascinating read. If anyone knows--please post it.

[LiteKeeper]

read later

[Dog Gone]

I would be interested in reading that. I work with geologists every day, and that certainly is not the model they are using.

[blam]

The breakout of The Glacial Lake Agassiz affected ocean levels worldwide. It was sudden.

[JudyB1938]

That would be Dr Henry M Morris, hydraulic engineer. See:

http://www.icr.org/creationscientists/physicalscientists.html#hmorris

He wrote this excellent book:

http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?userid=2UN7H8UEUT&isbn=0875523382&itm=1

Dr John D Morris' comments on the Black Sea issue can be found here:

http://www.icr.org/pubs/btg-b/btg-134b.htm

[JudyB1938]

oops Forgot to ping you. See my post above.

[JudyB1938]

Duhhh ... I guess I didn't forget to ping.

[JudyB1938]

See my post above. It was YOU I forgot to ping. (embarrassed)

That book is on sale for $12.82 if you wanted to find out more about his theories.

[blam]

Hmmmmm.

[Slicksadick]

Thanks for the ping, bump

[Dog Gone]

Thanks!