All the myths cannot be broken at once, especially when they are created daily by those who wish, but as such questions arise and a little technical or analytical research is carried out, it is possible, and I would even say necessary.
Just recently, one of my old acquaintances and good friends, whom we had not seen for a long time, wrote to me. Nothing out of the ordinary “hello, how are you, long time no see,” and also in the text of the letter, he said that he had read my works and decided to ask a question that had been tormenting him for a long time - Why in some places fresh and salt sea water do not mix. Thus, the topic for the next post in LabOrder (order laboratory) was determined.
I have already encountered this question, and often in conversations with the same people - religious ones, who, at every opportunity, mentioned that the Holy Quran says that fresh and salt water do not mix, and used this statement as an argument in favor of the fact that this book knows something that science still cannot explain. Previously, I simply brushed aside such “arguments” due to the fact that I am an agnostic, and I have an irreparable conviction that often religion either incorrectly interprets physical phenomena, or creates and demonstrates certain tricks in order to attract more adherents to its ranks. But since a person asked, especially an old friend of mine, let’s figure it out.
First, let's ask the holy book what it says about immiscible waters, specifically and in the text. Why in the text? Often everyone interprets certain words, in an unknown translation, and passes off wishful thinking as reality.
Since this sura consists of 77 ayats, we will consider only the ayat that is necessary for us where this statement about not mixing water is mentioned. ayat
<<25:53. Аллах - Тот, кто создал два моря рядом: в одном море - пресная вода, а в другом море - солёная. Оба моря рядом друг с другом, но Он поставил нерушимую преграду между ними, и они не смешиваются благодаря благоволению Аллаха и Его милосердию к людям>>
But even on this site there is already a substitution of concepts and reinterpretation of original statements. So I ask people who read such literature to be careful. Here, for example, is the translation of the Koran by Valeria Porokhova (Al Furqan 25:53):
<<Он - Тот, Кто в путь пустил два моря:
Pleasant and fresh - one thing,
Salty and bitter are different.
He placed a barrier between them -
Such an indestructible barrier,
(Which never allows them to merge)>>
It should also be noted that this phenomenon is repeated in Surah verses 19-20.
Pleasant and fresh - Salty and bitter. Well, now it is more or less reliably clear what, where and where from. It is quite possible that the example with the seas is a metaphor and nothing more. But let's even say so.
In general, I repeat that the main argument is often that the Holy Book mentions a truth that was not yet known to science. And they even say that the famous scuba inventor and oceanographer Jacques Cousteau converted to Islam when he first saw this phenomenon in reality. But I’m afraid that this might happen, like with astronaut Armstrong.
In order to begin to understand this problem, we need to list the places on the planet and the conditions in which a similar phenomenon is observed, where water from one body of water does not mix with water from another.
<< Галоклин - слой воды, в котором солёность резко изменяется с глубиной (наблюдается большой вертикальный градиент солёности). Один из видов хемоклина. Ввиду того, что солёность влияет на плотность воды, галоклин может играть роль в её вертикальной стратификации (англ.) (расслоении). Повышение солёности на 1 кг/м3 приводит к увеличению плотности морской воды приблизительно на 0,7 кг/м3 >>
<<…А. И. Воейков впервые дал верное объяснение наличию теплой воды на глубинах северной части Индийского океана. Он утверждал, что В БАБ-ЭЛЬ-МАНДЕБСКОМ ПРОЛИВЕ ДОЛЖНО СУЩЕСТВОВАТЬ НИЖНЕЕ ТЕЧЕНИЕ ОЧЕНЬ ТЕПЛОЙ И СОЛЕНОЙ ВОДЫ ИЗ КРАСНОГО МОРЯ В ИНДИЙСКИЙ ОКЕАН. Впоследствии это БЫЛО ДВАЖДЫ ПОДТВЕРЖДЕНО НАБЛЮДЕНИЯМИ в указанном проливе: во время плаваний С. О. МАКАРОВА на «Витязе» в 1886-1889 гг. И АНГЛИЙСКОЙ ЭКСПЕДИЦИЕЙ на судне «Старк» в 1898 г.>>
2) Strait of Gibraltar - between the Iberian Peninsula and the northwestern coast of Africa, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
If you believe this photo, it was taken in this exact place. And the interface that is visible on it is the difference in salinity, which for some reason does not mix.
Again, there are no reliable sources of information that this phenomenon can be observed in this form as shown in the picture above, again except for you know what sites. Moreover, different sources assign different locations to this photograph. Okay, let’s see where we have “fresh” and where we have “salt”. The Atlantic Ocean is salty, as is the Mediterranean Sea, which is saltier than the ocean itself. It has been established that the water exchange between these two reservoirs along the upper reaches brings 42.3 thousand km3 of water into the Mediterranean Sea, and the lower reaches 40.8 thousand km3 of water per year from the sea. What kind of “non-mixing” of water we are talking about here, one can only guess.
Also, if you believe Valeria Porokhova herself, this barrier and clear separation is observed in almost every river that flows into any sea (in the video from 2:00). Yeah, especially where we are talking about the Volga and the Caspian Sea, where could the astronaut see the dividing line? History is silent.
Watch your hands.
Obviously, and most likely, the first thing that surprises people is the clear separation boundary, which is shown in the photographs to confirm that the water really does not mix. But my dears, how can water not mix if global water exchange is almost a fundamental law. Only partially, a relatively blurred interface can be observed due to a number of physical phenomena that can be observed either temporarily or at different depths depending on the changing water temperature, salinity, surface tension and the directions of currents carrying it at different speeds, thereby slowing down the diffusion process. I repeat, regarding the clear dividing line that some people claim and the lack of water exchange, in such places, alas, there are no official and reliable sources.
Why not cite as confirmation an isolated lake that would have a similar clear section, a “sweet - slide” of water. Maybe because there is no such thing?
More and more often, straits and connections between rivers and seas are cited as examples. As a result of the connection of two different waters, where the phenomenon appears on which the diffusion process takes place according to the above factors. Why, for example, is no one surprised by such an interface found in nature?
Maybe because these obvious things were simply not written in the Holy Scriptures?
On the other hand, no one claims that in the Holy Book there is a detailed explanation of anything except that this was done by God and in His Name!
What is the root of this trick? Yes, the fact is that this was already described in the Koran 1400 years ago, and science is only now making similar discoveries. Well, I see. Science, in addition to making discoveries, also tries to explain them; this, by the way, is its key difference from any religion that simply points to God.
That is, what do deeply religious people want to convey to us? And the fact that 1400 years ago, the only one who knew that when two water reservoirs were connected there would be some sort of boundary was the Holy Scripture, the Koran. And until this moment, for some reason, no one noticed this phenomenon among people who had already been using the fleet with all their might for at least 4000 years. That's how things are.
And finally, watch this video (I didn’t give it the title). Do you still think that deeply religious people who mix reality with faith are capable of professionalism in one profession or another? Especially such as pilots, doctors, scientists, physicists, teachers, designers, etc. ..?
They say that the Atlantic and Pacific oceans do not mix their waters. It is quite difficult for us to understand how identical liquids cannot combine. In this article “I and the World” will try to figure this out.
Of course, to say that the waters of the oceans do not mix at all is wrong. So why is the border between them so clearly visible? In the place where they touch, the direction of the currents is different, as well as the difference in the level of density of the water and the amount of salt in it. At the line of their intersection it is even clearly visible that the colors of the reservoirs are completely different. This joint is clearly visible in the photo.
The famous scientist Jacques Cousteau once spoke about the directions of currents, when the force of the earth at an angle to the axis of rotation prevents the waters from completely mixing at the place where they meet. But what’s interesting is that this phenomenon was written about in the Koran 1400 years ago.
The invisible merging of the oceans occurs only in the Southern Hemisphere, since in the Northern Hemisphere they are separated by continents.
Such clear boundaries can be seen not only where oceans meet, but also seas and between river basins. For example, the North and Baltic seas do not mix due to the different densities of their waters.
At the confluence of the Irtysh and Ulba, in the first river the water is clear, in the second it is muddy.
In China: the clean Jialing River flows into the brown-dirty Yangtze.
The two rivers, having traveled almost 4 km, still do not mix. This is explained by the different speeds of their currents and temperatures. The Rio Negro is slower and warmer, while the Solimões flows faster, but is cooler.
And there are many such examples. From the outside, all this seems mystical, until an exact explanation comes.
Video: the border where two oceans meet
If you liked interesting facts about places where the border between bodies of water is visible, share them with your friends. And, of course, subscribe to the “Me and the World” channel - it’s always interesting with us. See you again!
September 29 – World Maritime Day is one of the international holidays in the United Nations system. This day has been celebrated since 1978 by decision of the 10th session of the Assembly of the Intergovernmental Maritime Organization (Intergovernmental Maritime Organization).
The seas and oceans contain many secrets that have yet to be discovered by humanity. Some of them, discovered relatively recently, will be discussed in this material.
According to modern research, in places where two different seas collide, there is a natural barrier between them. This barrier separates both seas, and therefore each of them has its own water temperature, salinity and density (1) . For example, the water of the Mediterranean Sea is warmer, saltier and less dense than the water of the Atlantic Ocean. When water from the Mediterranean Sea flows through the Gibraltar Ridge into the Atlantic Ocean, it travels over a distance of several hundred kilometers and to a depth of about 1,000 meters, maintaining its higher temperature, salinity and lower density. And at this depth, the water of the Mediterranean Sea continues to retain its properties (2) .
Despite strong waves, powerful currents, ebbs and flows, these seas do not mix and do not cross this natural barrier, thanks to surface tension. The reason for surface tension is the varying degrees of density of sea water. It turns out that there is an invisible water wall separating the waters.
The Holy Quran mentions a barrier between two seas, ready to meet, which, however, do not merge with each other. The Almighty speaks about it this way in the Koran (meaning):
“He separated the two seas, ready to meet each other. He erected a barrier between them so that they would not merge.” (Sura Ar-Rahman, verses 19-20).
The Koran also talks about the separation of fresh and salt water, the existence of an “insurmountable zone of separation” and a barrier between them. The Creator says in the Quran (meaning):
“He is the one who divided water into two types, one is fresh and suitable for drinking, the other is salty and bitter. And He established a barrier between them and an insurmountable border." (Surah Al-Furqan, verse 53)
One might ask why the Qur'an speaks of the existence of an "impenetrable zone of separation" when it comes to the separation of fresh and salt water, but does not mention this when it talks about the separation of the two seas?
Modern science shows that at the mouths of rivers, where fresh and salt water merge, the situation is somewhat different from that observed at the confluence of two seas. Modern science has established that in estuaries where salt and fresh water meet, there is “a zone of separation with a pronounced discontinuous change in density that separates the two water masses.” (3) . The water in this dividing zone differs in salt content from both fresh and salt water (4) .
These discoveries were made relatively recently using the most modern equipment to measure water temperature, salinity, density, oxygen saturation, etc. The human eye is unable to distinguish between two merging seas. Rather, on the contrary, they appear to us as a homogeneous sea. Likewise, the human eye is unable to see the division of estuarine water into three types: fresh water, salt water and watershed water.
(1) Principles of Oceanography, Davis, pp. 92-93.
(2) Principles of Oceanography, Davis, p. 93.
(3) Oceanography, Gross, p. 242. See also Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.
(4) Oceanography, Gross, p. 244, and Introductory Oceanography, Thurman, pp. 300-301.
Miracle of the Qur'an: the seas that do not mix
Sura 55 "The Merciful":
19. He mixed the two seas that meet each other.
20. There is a barrier between them that they cannot cross.
Sura 25 "Discrimination":
53. He is the One Who mixed two seas (types of water): one is pleasant, fresh, and the other is salty, bitter. He placed a barrier and an insurmountable obstacle between them.
While exploring the expanses of water in the Strait of Gibraltar, Jacques Cousteau discovered an amazing fact, not explained by science: the existence of two water columns that do not mix with each other. They seem to be separated by a film and have a clear boundary between them. Each of them has its own temperature, its own salt composition, flora and fauna. These are the waters of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean touching each other in the Strait of Gibraltar.
“In 1962,” says Jacques Cousteau, “German scientists discovered that in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, where the waters of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea converge, the waters of the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean do not mix. Following the example of our colleagues, we began to find out whether the waters of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea mix. First we examined the water of the Mediterranean Sea - its natural level of salinity, density and the life forms inherent in it. We did the same thing in the Atlantic Ocean. These two masses of water have been meeting in the Strait of Gibraltar for thousands of years and it would be logical to assume that these two huge water masses should have mixed long ago - their salinity and density should have become the same, or at least similar. But even in the places where they converge closest, each of them retains its properties. In other words, at the confluence of two masses of water, the water curtain did not allow them to mix.”
When he discovered this obvious and incredible fact, the scientist was extremely surprised. “For a long time I rested on the laurels of this amazing phenomenon, inexplicable by the laws of physics and chemistry,” writes Cousteau.
But the scientist experienced even greater surprise and admiration when he learned that this was written about in the Koran 1,400 years ago. He learned about this from Dr. Maurice Bucaille, a Frenchman who converted to Islam.
“When I told him about my discovery, he skeptically told me that this was said in the Koran 1400 years ago. It was like a bolt from the blue for me. And indeed, this is how it turned out when I looked at the translations of the Koran. Then I exclaimed: “I swear that this Koran, from which modern science lags behind by 1400 years, cannot be the speech of man. This is the true speech of the Almighty.” After that, I accepted Islam and every day I was amazed at the truth, justice, ease, and usefulness of this religion. I am eternally grateful that He opened my eyes to the Truth,” Cousteau further writes.
We discussed something once and it turns out that many people did not know the exact number. Check yourself using the link earlier. And now about the seas.
When you see the seas on a map, you probably get the impression that they simply smoothly transform into each other and into the oceans. But in fact, the boundaries of the seas extend not only along the seabed. Different densities, salinity and temperatures lead to the fact that at the junction of the seas it is as if two walls are bumping into each other. In several places on Earth this is even visually noticeable!
The boundaries of the seas (or sea and ocean) are most clearly visible where a vertical halocline appears. What is this phenomenon?
Oceanic wedges are clear boundaries in the middle of the ocean between water masses with different physical and biological characteristics. There are several types of them. For example, thermoclines are boundaries between waters with a significant temperature difference. The largest and most obvious thermoclines are, of course, the boundaries between the North Atlantic waters and the warm Gulf Stream.
The most amazing ones are chemoclines, boundaries between waters with different microclimates and chemical compositions. Before the oil spill disaster, the most famous chemocline was the border of the famous Sargasso Sea. Now this chemocline has almost been covered with a copper basin; fish from the external oceans have burst into the original get-together and have ravaged the cozy sea.
And the most visually impressive, perhaps, are haloclines—barriers between waters with different degrees of salinity.
Jacques Cousteau discovered the same phenomenon while exploring the Strait of Gibraltar. Layers of water of different salinity seem to be separated by a film. Each layer has its own flora and fauna!
For a halocline to arise, one body of water must be five times saltier than another. In this case, physical laws will prevent the waters from mixing. Anyone can see a halocline in a glass by pouring a layer of fresh water and a layer of salt water into it.
Now imagine a vertical halocline that occurs when two seas collide, one of which has a salt percentage five times higher than the other. The border will be vertical.
To see this phenomenon with your own eyes, go to the Danish city of Skagen. This is where you will see the place where the North Sea and the Baltic Sea meet. At the border of the watershed you can often observe even small waves with caps: these are waves of two seas bumping into each other.
The watershed boundary is so prominent for several reasons:
The Baltic Sea is much inferior in salinity to the North Sea, their density is different;
- the meeting of the seas occurs in a small area and, moreover, in shallow water, which complicates the mixing of waters;
- The Baltic Sea is tidal, its waters practically do not extend beyond the basin.
But, despite the spectacular border of these two seas, their waters gradually mix. This is the only reason why the Baltic Sea has at least a little salinity. If it were not for the influx of salty currents from the North Sea through this narrow meeting point, the Baltic would generally be a huge freshwater lake.
A similar effect can be seen in southwest Alaska. There the Pacific Ocean meets the waters of the Gulf of Alaska. They also cannot mix right away, and not only because of the difference in salinity. The ocean and the bay have different water compositions. The effect is very colorful: the waters vary greatly in color. The Pacific Ocean is darker, and the glacier-fed Gulf of Alaska is light turquoise.
Visual boundaries of water basins can be seen on the border of the White and Barents seas, in the Bab el-Mandeb and Gibraltar straits. In other places, water boundaries also exist, but they are smoother and not noticeable to the eye, since the mixing of waters occurs more intensely. And yet, while vacationing in Greece, Cyprus and some other island resorts, it is easy to notice that the sea on one side of the island behaves completely differently than the sea washing the opposite shore.
So, once again the most spectacular merge points:
1. North Sea and Baltic Sea
The meeting point of the North Sea and the Baltic Sea near Skagen, Denmark. Water does not mix due to different densities.
2. Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
The meeting point of the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean at the Strait of Gibraltar. Water does not mix due to differences in density and salinity.
3. Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
The meeting point of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean in the Antilles region.
The meeting place of the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean on the island of Eleuthera, Bahamas. On the left is the Caribbean Sea (turquoise water), on the right is the Atlantic Ocean (blue water).
4. Suriname River and Atlantic Ocean
The meeting point of the Suriname River and the Atlantic Ocean in South America.
5. Uruguay River and its tributary
The confluence of the Uruguay River and its tributary in the province of Misiones, Argentina. One of them is cleared for agricultural needs, the other becomes almost red with clay during the rainy season.
6. Rio Negro and Solimões (Amazon section)
Six miles from Manaus in Brazil, the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers join but do not mix for 4 kilometers. Rio Negro has dark water, while Solimões has light water. This phenomenon is explained by differences in temperature and flow speed. The Rio Negro flows at a speed of 2 km/h and a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, and the Solimoes at a speed of 4 to 6 km/h and a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.
7. Moselle and Rhine
The confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers in Koblenz, Germany. The Rhine is lighter, the Moselle is darker.
8. Ilts, Danube and Inn
The confluence of the three rivers Ilz, Danube and Inn in Passau, Germany. Ilts is a small mountain river (in the 3rd photo in the lower left corner), the Danube in the middle and the light-colored Inn. Although the Inn is wider and fuller than the Danube at its confluence, it is considered a tributary.
9. Alaknanda and Bhagirathi
The confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers in Devaprayag, India. Alaknanda is dark, Bhagirathi is light.
10. Irtysh and Ulba
The confluence of the Irtysh and Ulba rivers in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. The Irtysh is clean, the Ulba is muddy.
11. Jialing and Yangtze
The confluence of the Jialing and Yangtze rivers in Chongqing, China. The Jialing River stretches for 119 km. In the city of Chongqing it flows into the Yangtze River. The clear waters of Jialing meet the brown waters of the Yangtze.
12. Irtysh and Om
The confluence of the Irtysh and Om rivers in Omsk, Russia. The Irtysh is muddy, the Om is transparent.
13. Irtysh and Tobol
The confluence of the Irtysh and Tobol rivers near Tobolsk, Tyumen region, Russia. The Irtysh is light, muddy, the Tobol is dark, transparent.
14. Chuya and Katun
The confluence of the Chuya and Katun rivers in the Ongudai region of the Altai Republic, Russia. The water of the Chuya in this place (after confluence with the Chaganuzun River) acquires an unusual cloudy white lead color and seems dense and thick. Katun is clean and turquoise. Combining together, they form a single two-color stream with a clear boundary and flow for some time without mixing.
15. Green and Colorado
Confluence of the Green and Colorado Rivers in Canyonlands National Park, Utah, USA. Green is green and Colorado is brown. The beds of these rivers run through rocks of different composition, which is why the colors of the water are so contrasting.
16. Rona and Arv
The confluence of the Rhone and Arve rivers in Geneva, Switzerland. The river on the left is the clear Rhône, which emerges from Lake Leman. The river on the right is the muddy Arve, which is fed by the many glaciers of the Chamonix valley.
Haloclines are common in water-filled caves near the ocean. Less dense fresh water from the ground forms a layer above the salt water from the ocean. For underwater cavers, this can cause an optical illusion of air space in caves. Swimming through the halocline causes disturbance and mixing of the layers.
The halocline can be easily reproduced and observed in a glass or other transparent vessel. If fresh water is slowly poured on top of salt water, preventing mixing (for example, using a spoon held horizontally at the level of the water), the halocline will be visible to the eye. This is a result of the fact that salt and fresh water have different refractive indexes.
Here's more details and what it is
