The next Great Flood caused by Subterranean Oceans.

I’m not sure if this should go in fragile Earth or 2012, so I’m sticking in 2012 on the basis that it is presented as a world catastrophe.

While looking on Wikipedia for one of my favorite Science fiction authors Steven Baxter I came across a book that he had recently written simply called “Flood” with a sequel of sorts called “Ark”.

Both are set in the near future from I think 2016 until 2050 or more and have to do with the world flooding over everything including Mt. Everest over a period of 34 years.

I don’t know the specifics exactly as I haven’t read the book yet but I will try to soon enough. For a more in depth summary of the plot you can visit the pages below.


en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

en.wikipedia.org...

From what I understand in reading the synopsis, through some sort of tectonic activity vast amounts of water escape from underground oceans that are spread around the world I guess.
This is something new to me and I never even considered such a thing. The author in Wikipedia claims that his research is based on “Hard Science” and Baxter himself supposedly has some kind of physics background so he says.

Hard science you say? Well I had to check.
Also on Wikipedia it states that his research was in regards to an underground ocean found under Beijing China, apparently the size of the Artic Ocean or roughly the size of Russia, which calculates out to a heck of a lot of water under ground.

en.wikipedia.org...

A quick Google turned up this article from LiveScience in 2008.

www.livescience.com...

While there are clear differences in the current ocean and the sub ocean described here one notable difference being that it is contained within solid rock until it hits a certain depth; I wonder if there may be a possibility however remote that if the interior of the earth were heated to a higher temperature if the water could then merge with the actual ocean water that comprises 2/3rd of our world thereby causing waters to rise.
Moreover I would like to know how much of a rise might occur if such water did escape somehow.

I find it interesting that the science claims that the water acts like oil to keep the continents moving. I can see the claim for once that the Earth can experience crustal slippage or for that matter complete pole reversal. It would then in a sense be like a giant mud slide making more believable to me now. I’m interested in what dynamic effects gravity may have on the water as well.

While I don’t believe in a hollow earth theory I have read that some people are trying to attribute this find to such a belief.

Has anyone read the book “FLOOD” because I’m interested to how the author managed to get around some of the obstacles to make the world flood to the degree written about in the synopsis? What science if any did he use to create his story?

I found this idea very new to me and fascinating as well so I thought I would share it with ATS. It really adds another perspective on doom and gloom scenarios something that I love for some sick reason.

I would say that any underground pockets of water would not burst forth or increase the levels of the oceans unless something takes up the space the water occupies.

This would be molten earth, fill earth (such as a collapse), or some mysterious swelling of the Earths core. The key here is displacement. I suspect if there was a fill earth scenario there is only a reversal of occupancy! Water would simply take up the space the ground once held, or vice-versa.

I have often thought of a past World Wide Flood such as what is described in ancient texts and stories. I grappled with it in my mind and for the longest time I could not accept that an event such as flooding could be world wide unless it were the loss of all of our icecaps simultaneously but even that would not flood everywhere. At least that used to be my conviction.

Now I see it differently. Now that I understand that our Earth actual bulges at the equator because of the forces outside of the Earth; the Sun, planets, and other influences of gravity and mass. Say for instance, a large planetoid should happen around the bend and Earth is effected by it, the closest point, directionally, towards the heavenly body would pull at the oceans and the Earth's crust causing an immediate bulging. As the planet spins the bulge or subsequent wave would move around the globe. If the heavenly influence were moving perpendicular or vertical to our own direction the bulge could very well move up and around completely reaching all parts. Such as if the influence starts at the South Pole, the oceans are pulled toward the object in Space, and as the Earth spins and the object moves onward the oceans move around like a coil until you reach the North Pole. Everyone and everything would become flooded but not simultaneously, rather as a prolonged event.

That is the only way I can see it happening, unless of course the earthen portion of Earth should go into what is called 'Liquefaction". Which could result if the Earth should be vibrated at such an intensity that all the solid portions become like a liquid state, moving like liquid. Then once the event is over the ground would be completely level in all parts; no mountains, no hills, no canyons, all smoothed to one level. Then I could see the Oceans being the predominate element even in depth around the Globe (what ever that depth might be), with no land masses in sight.

I did muse through the links but I have not read the Book. If there is an element of the book I missed that would counter the above thoughts I would love to hear about them. S&F

reply to post by Greensage


Thanks for the info.
Your explanation seems reasonable and I can see the point, I too would like to know how such an event could occur as described in the book.

Your other description is very close to a book I read NON-FICTION called "When the Earth Nearly Died" by By D S Allan and J B Delair.
www.knowledge.co.uk...

It alleges compelling evidence of a cosmic catastrophe in 9500 B. C.
which specifically describes a stellar body of sorts that came through our solar system and close enough to Earth to disturb its orbit and gravity.
it can be found on Amazon for a fare price, and is very very interesting.

Specifically it talks about a global flood and all the legends throughout the world that describe the event.

Isn't it a widely held belief that the next Great Event that cleans the Earth is Fire?

I guess eventually when we reach that time when our Sun goes Nova then I guess Fire it is, and no one could dispute that arrangement, but I mean the next Big Cleansing, not the last cleansing anyways.

I hate burning I really do, just drop me in water please! LOL

reply to post by Greensage


That's the rumor anyway.

Ever see the movie "Knowing" that seems in keeping with the BBQ idea.

A creepy event to say the least. Some high lass super flare burned Earth to a crisp. Needles to say there were no survivors.

reply to post by snowen20


I dont think there will be another great flood, thats what made it great as it destroyed inperfect 1z..

reply to post by Ophiuchus 13


Agreed.
I wont say another great flood wont occur, I just don't think it will destroy the world again. In the end I tend to believe scripture.

My point in the thread was ore or less to determine the possibility if a global flood on the magnitude described in the book mentioned, and because I thought the idea was interesting because it was new.

It certainly can be noted by all the posts in regards to the Elite and Leaders of the World buying up properties in high elevations. I am sure it isn't for the view!

reply to post by Greensage


No doubt.

The author mentioned in my OP is pretty good at mentioning elitist events and other such things as that.
He does it from a very humanist stand point that sometimes turns me off. So does Arther C. Clark.

It would take 14 times the volume of the Atlantic ocean to cover the world in water deep enough to submerge Everest. That's a lot of water. This scenario isn't happening.

I doubt the claims of this person basing their novel on hard science. I think that's as truthful as the Coen brothers saying that the movie Fargo was based on a true story.

Fargo

You might wanna check out Hydroplate Theory www.creationscience.com...

Its gotta be the mother of subterranean ocean theories.

Hydroplate theory is an attempt to reconcile the bible with the geology of the Earth. The problem has been recognized for at least 500 years that the world we see does not match the bible especially the account of the flood. There is no evidence for a global flood. One of the great problems for a global flood is that there are undisturbed villages all over the lobe that have been lived in continuously over all time periods. There is no time period in which there isn't a place where people lived across a time.

Hydroplate theory has been shown to be false time and time again.

Originally posted by stereologist
It would take 14 times the volume of the Atlantic ocean to cover the world in water deep enough to submerge Everest. That's a lot of water. This scenario isn't happening.

I doubt the claims of this person basing their novel on hard science. I think that's as truthful as the Coen brothers saying that the movie Fargo was based on a true story.

Fargo

I don't think we would need THAT much water to destroy civilization.

reply to post by stereologist


I was giving the OP another place to look for the topic he is apparently interested in. He/she whatever says the have read fiction and non fiction books on the subject.

Regardless of the scientific merits of the theory itself it would be a pretty obvious required reading of the ops assumed interest.

All I was saying.

Originally posted by snowen20
...
A creepy event to say the least. Some high lass super flare burned Earth to a crisp. Needles to say there were no survivors.

The flare would need a duration approaching 24 hours to singe the entire surface of the Earth, no? I mean, I could see the side facing the Sun having its issues when the flare arrives but the opposite, 'dark' side of the Earth too? Takes 'global warming' to a whole new level.

[edit on 8/19/2010 by abecedarian]

I'll throw this out there:

As it would require something to take the place of the water let loose from underground in order to cause an actual rise in sea level, why could it not be subterranean methane that was previously under pressure thus solidified and when the water vacates, the methane sublimes to a gaseous state and its expansion displaces the water thus taking up the water's volume, and the escape of the water causes erosion and such so that the ground once again encapsulates the methane?

reply to post by abecedarian


The Earth's magnetic field and atmosphere protect us from incoming particles from a flare. The flare itself would not reach the surface.

if the water was to somehow shift, it could destroy everything, not sure if the water could.. shift

reply to post by abecedarian


Why would the water leave the voids in the first place? A mix of water and methane can form methane hydrates. These were a problem for the containment system attempted by BP since they form easily.

Originally posted by stereologist
Why would the water leave the voids in the first place? A mix of water and methane can form methane hydrates. These were a problem for the containment system attempted by BP since they form easily.

Plate techtonics maybe? An earthquake somewhere opens up such a void and the escaping liquid erodes the opening resulting in the eventual collapse of the opening, sealing it perhaps?

[edit on 8/24/2010 by abecedarian]