What Are the Physical Secrets Behind Noah’s Flood?

Introduction: How Did Noah’s Flood Begin?

Noah’s flood was not merely a rise in sea level; it was a complex physical event that released water from static pressure. While NASA has confirmed that no marine deposits exist above the 120-meter mark, and archaeological studies have established that the floodwaters did not reach the peak of the Great Pyramid, the core question remains: How did the flood begin?

The Quranic answer was precise: “And when Our command came and the oven overflowed” [Hud: 40]. The oven (al-tannur) here is not a bread oven, but a reference to the great oceanic rift that spewed lava to release water trapped under pressure.

First: Water Across Three States and Three Pressures

Water is the only substance we observe in all three states:

A liquid state as the parent form
A solid state through freezing, where its volume increases by 9% V_{ice} = 1.09 \times V_{water}
A gaseous state through evaporation

Yet the liquid state itself has phases in response to pressure, governed chiefly by two factors: time and the method of pressure. Here lies the crux of the matter:

Centrifugal lift—cavitation—has a theoretical ceiling of 9.1 meters, which is the atmospheric pressure of 1 bar.
Piston-system lift reaches up to 25 meters.
The reaction in 3,000-bar water-jet systems: industrial theory puts the yield at 14%

Second: The Shortcoming of Pascal’s Principle—The Field Experiment

The researcher conducted three field experiments on three metal tubes of differing lengths and diameters, while fully controlling for external influences such as air and heat, to measure the reaction of water released from pressure.

The consistent result across all three experiments was: Reaction = 28%, rather than 14%.

In other words, Pascal’s principle—which assumes pressure is transmitted without loss or gain—falls short of explaining the sudden release phenomenon of pressurized water. Water does not merely transmit pressure; it stores release energy.

Third: The Mathematical Calculation for the 120-Meter Level with a 17-Bar Ceiling

We adopt your hypothesis: that the maximum true compression of water before it loses its liquid properties is 17 bar.

The hydrostatic pressure required for the 120-meter level:

This is below the 17-bar ceiling, making it physically possible.

The height resulting from a 17-bar pressure if it were static:

The actual height after adding the 28% experimental reaction coefficient upon sudden release from the rift:

This figure explains how a single pressurized source could cover the required 120-meter level, accounting for massive losses through evaporation, seepage, and absorption in basins, ultimately settling at the 120-meter boundary above which no marine deposits exist.

This aligns with the Quranic reference in Surat al-Qamar, the ninth place where the flood is mentioned: “Then We opened the gates of heaven with pouring water” [Al-Qamar: 11]. The pouring water came from the sky, as if the verse indicates that its waters originated on the surface of the moon, and the verse number 11 suggests that the number of water sources was between 9 and 11, and God knows best. If sources were multiple, just 3 sources with a 28% coefficient would suffice to exceed 120 meters.

Fourth: Why Was It Unfit for Navigation?

The Quran did not say “sailing with them upon waves,” but rather “and it sailed with them amid waves like mountains” [Hud: 42]. It did not use the word ship (safeenah), but instead used “the ark” (al-fulk), which is the enclosed shape we recognize today as a submarine.

“Amid waves” implies a suspended state—Neutral Buoyancy—because water suddenly released from 17 bars of pressure is saturated with cavitation bubbles and volcanic gases, losing its buoyancy and becoming unfit for surface navigation. Therefore, the ark had to be enclosed and travel within the water rather than upon it.

This is supported by biographical tradition at the end of the flood: Noah sent out a raven, which landed on a carcass and did not return, then sent out a dove, which returned with an olive branch, establishing it as a symbol of peace and the return of life.

Conclusion

The flood was not a conventional inundation, but a physical release process of water trapped beneath a 17-bar water compression ceiling within the great oceanic rifts. When the oven overflowed with lava, the water was released with a reaction energy 28% greater than current laws predict, rising above the 120-meter mark to cover the earth except for its towering peaks.

Author: Yahya Arafa Moussa

Published by Hany Sallam

Hany Sallam, Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Scientific Magazine Ahram
An independent Arabic science magazine operating since 2008, dedicated to simplifying science, technology, space, natural phenomena and scientific stories for Arabic readers. The magazine includes sections such as “Zodiac Group” and “Stories and Tales”, alongside science topics that combine knowledge with a spirit of discovery. It operates independently and is not affiliated with Al-Ahram Press Foundation or any governmental body.