Barrier Between Two Seas
The Quran describes two seas meeting with a barrier - confirmed by oceanographic discovery of haloclines.
مَرَجَ الْبَحْرَيْنِ يَلْتَقِيَانِ بَيْنَهُمَا بَرْزَخٌ لَّا يَبْغِيَانِ
Marajal-baḥrayni yaltaqiyān. Baynahumā barzakhun lā yabghiyān
“He released the two seas, meeting [side by side]; Between them is a barrier [so] neither of them transgresses.”
610-632 CE
The verse describing this phenomenon was revealed to Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
Time Gap
1,241+ years
Before scientific confirmation
1873 CE
HMS Challenger Expedition confirmed: Halocline - Density Barrier Between Waters
The Quran describes two seas that meet but do not mix, with a "barzakh" (barrier) between them. This phenomenon was only scientifically understood following the HMS Challenger expedition in 1873.
When waters of different densities (due to salinity, temperature, or both) meet, they form distinct layers separated by a gradient called a halocline or pycnocline. This "invisible barrier" maintains the separation despite the waters meeting.
Observable examples include: - Strait of Gibraltar: Mediterranean and Atlantic waters - Gulf of Alaska: Glacier meltwater meeting ocean - Amazon River delta: Fresh and salt water meeting
The Quranic description precisely captures this oceanographic phenomenon - the waters meet but maintain their distinct properties due to the density barrier between them.
Phenomenon
Halocline - Density Barrier Between Waters
Discovered By
HMS Challenger Expedition
Year Discovered
1873
Time Gap
1,241+ years
When bodies of water with different salinities meet (such as where a river enters the ocean, or where two seas with different salt concentrations meet), they don't immediately mix. A barrier called a "halocline" forms due to density differences.
The HMS Challenger Expedition (1872-1876) was the first to scientifically document these phenomena. At locations like the Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean water (higher salinity ~38‰) flows beneath Atlantic water (~36‰), creating a distinct layer. Similarly, at the mouth of the Amazon River, fresh water extends over 100 km into the Atlantic without mixing.
The Quran accurately describes this phenomenon - two bodies of water that "meet" but maintain a "barrier" (barzakh) between them that prevents transgression (complete mixing).
Related Miracles
Sources & References
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