Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study : Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study Jason D. Browning
B.S., M.S., Computer Science An Overview of Noah’s flood, and the ark as described in the book by John Woodmorappe
Introduction : Introduction The Book of Genesis describes how God destroyed the face of the earth through a year-long global flood, because of the “great wickedness” of the people
Noah and his family survived, along with representative animals, on a large boat (the ark)
Many regard this account as a myth, or as an exaggeration of an actual local flood event
Could Noah’s ark have occurred as described?
John Woodmorappe has performed a scientific study of the animal handling requirements of the ark and other issues and concludes that all potential problems have reasonable possible non-miraculous solutions
Background : Background “Noah’s Ark: A Feasibility Study” by John Woodmorappe, published 1996 by Institute for Creation Research
Woodmorappe has a B.A. and M.A. in Geology, and a B.A. in Biology
Also wrote book “Studies in Flood Geology”
See Woodmorappe web site http://mars.nettrek.net.au/~rik/cyber/faqark.htm for additional information and ordering
Also see the “Noah’s Ark Project” at http://user.mc.net/dougp/noahs_ark
The Genesis Flood : The Genesis Flood Described in Genesis chapters 6-9
6:5 The LORD saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become
6:6 The LORD was grieved that he had made man on the earth
6:8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the LORD.
6:14 So make yourself an ark of cypress wood
6:17 I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.
6:19 You are to bring into the ark two of all living creatures, male and female, to keep them alive with you.
6:21 You are to take every kind of food that is to be eaten and store it away as food for you and for them.
The Flood Events : The Flood Events Feb 10: Noah, his family, animals enter the ark
Feb 17: “All the springs of the great deep burst forth” and rain falls for 40 days and nights
Water floods the earth for 150 days
Jul 17: Ark comes to rest on the mountains of Ararat
Waters recede steadily
Oct 1: Tops of mountains become visible
Nov 9: Noah sends raven - returns; 7 more days dove brings olive leaf; 7 more days dove doesn’t return (Nov 23)
Jan 1: Water had dried up from the earth
Feb 27: The earth was completely dry and ark unloads
Why Not a Local Flood? : Why Not a Local Flood? Genesis 7:22 says “Everything on dry land that had the breath of life in its nostrils died.”
Flood waters covered the tops of the mountains
Noah could have simply moved somewhere else
No need to save animals
God’s promise (Genesis 9:11b) “Never again will there be a flood to destroy the earth”
If this was a local flood, the promise has been broken many times!
Physical Evidences for Noah’s Flood : Physical Evidences for Noah’s Flood Earth’s geologic features require a catastrophic explanation
Sedimentary rock formations (water deposited, e.g. sandstone) cover continent-sized regions
Large coal, oil, ore deposits are not forming today
Great fossil beds exist requiring rapid burial at massive scale
Mountains made of “ocean-bottom” rocks, ocean fossils on continent interior mountains, fossils of warm habitat plants/animals near the poles
Many exceptions to standard geologic column (e.g. out of order strata, different “age” fossils found together)
Other Flood Evidences : Other Flood Evidences “Origin of civilization” is near ark landing
Written history appears 5-6,000 years ago
Pottery, agriculture, domestication, metallurgy, cities date <11,000 years ago
Tree ring studies of oldest living trees (Bristlecone pines) date to 5,000 years ago
Population statistics suggest a thousands of years (vs. a million) population build up
Radiocarbon dating age distribution analysis shows large spike of death about 5,000 years ago
C-14 Dating Study Results : C-14 Dating Study Results
Ark Specifications : Ark Specifications Genesis 6:14-16:
450 feet long, 75 feet wide, 45 feet high
Three decks
A door in the side
Ark “window” was continuous slot under the roof eaves, 18 inches high
Made out of “gopher” wood (teak or other hardened wood)
Sealed with “pitch” inside and out
Who Was on the Ark? : Who Was on the Ark? Land mammals
Land reptiles
Terrestrial birds
Dinosaurs
Amphibians
Some animals now extinct
Eight people Representative animals from each genus, not species
The genus is the smallest division of plants and animals that can be recognized without scientific study
Up to 16,000 animals (maybe as few as 2,000)
Large-sized were juveniles
Median size = a small rat
Only 11% larger than a sheep
Animal Space, Food, Water Needs : Animal Space, Food, Water Needs Ark situation equivalent to intensive livestock confinement (not a zoo)
Temporary captivity, need only to survive in reasonable health
Animal housing: 46.8% of ark floor space
2.5 sq. meters for juvenile of largest animals
Food: 6-12% of interior ark volume
Compressed hay, dried fruit, meat, fish
Water: 9.4% of ark volume
Or could have collected rainwater
Waste Management : Waste Management 12 tons of wet excreta produced daily (12 cubic meters) - comparable to intensive poultry house
Animal enclosures designed to minimize cleaning
Sloped, non-bedded floors
Slatted floors with manure pits
Thick sanitary bedding with no excreta removal
Manure gutters (animals can’t turn around)
Use of biological pest control (ducks, cats, mongooses)
Vermicomposting (use of earthworms to biodegrade manure)
Ark Inventory by Mass : Ark Inventory by Mass
Gathering of Animals : Gathering of Animals Wild Animals Tolerance to
Captivity Filter Behavioral Filter Genetics Filter Noah’s Menagerie Divine Filter Ark Both Noah (Gen 6:19, 7:2) and God (Gen 6:20, 7:9, 7:15)
were involved (reproduction of Figure 6 from book)
Factors Lessening Difficulties of Gathering Animals : Factors Lessening Difficulties of Gathering Animals Antediluvian world was much different
(Possibly) Just one continent (Pangea)
Warm climate throughout due to “vapor canopy” (animals were more evenly distributed)
Animals did not fear humans (Gen 9:2)
Animals were originally vegetarians (Gen 1:30)
Migration instinct may have been introduced at this time (Gen 6:20)
Hibernation instinct may have been introduced at this time
Other Alleged Ark Difficulties : Other Alleged Ark Difficulties Building a large wooden vessel
Care of the animals by eight people
Animals that eat fresh or live food, or have special diets
Animals that have differing climate needs
Heat buildup in the ark
Illumination in the ark
Violent flood waters, large waves (tsunamis)
After the Flood : After the Flood (Possible) Breakup of the unified landmass during the flood (catastrophic plate tectonics) (Gen 7:11)
Mountain ranges formed as plates collide
Removal of vapor canopy leads to introduction of varying climates and seasons (Gen 8:22)
People and animals given permission to eat meat (Gen 9:3)
Possibly no rain prior to the flood (as there we no rainbows, Gen 9:12-14)
An ice age caused by excess heat in the oceans and barren landmasses
Drastic climate changes lead to extinction of the dinosaurs and many other animals
Recovery After the Flood : Recovery After the Flood Survival of organisms outside the ark
Water salinity stratification allowed some fresh, brackish, and salt-water fish to survive
Large floating mats of vegetation
Seeds buried and re-exhumed by erosion, or floated
Food sources after the flood
Plants, seaweed, fungi, carrion, fish, insects, earthworms, rodents
Three months between first dry land and emergence of animals gives time for some plants to grow
Recovery After the Flood : Recovery After the Flood Repopulation of the world
Animals migrated from Ararat
Mountain landing: encouraged fragmentation of populations; offered varying ecological zones
Genetic diversity and speciation
Rapid post-flood speciation
Modern examples of single-pair founders
A single pair possesses most of the genetic diversity of the parent population
Conclusions : Conclusions There is physical and other evidence that a global flood has occurred about 5,000 years ago
It is feasible that a boat to carry about 16,000 animals of all genera could have been built, having adequate room for food and water, with the animals cared for by eight people
There are reasonable explanations for how the repopulation of the earth to produce what we see today might have taken place
God was involved, but continuous miracles were not necessary!