All seas and oceans and rivers on Earth communicate with each other. The water surface level is the same everywhere.
But you rarely see such a border. This is the border between the seas.
And the most amazing mergers are truly those where there is a visible contrast, a clear boundary between seas or flowing rivers.
North Sea and Baltic Sea
Meeting point of the North Sea and Baltic Sea near the city of Skagen, Denmark. Water does not mix due to different densities. Locals call it the end of the world.
Mediterranean Sea and Aegean Sea
The meeting point of the Mediterranean Sea and the Aegean Sea near the Peloponnese Peninsula, Greece.
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.
Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
Meeting point 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).
Suriname River and Atlantic Ocean
Meeting point of the Suriname River and the Atlantic Ocean in South America
Uruguay and tributary (Argentina)
The confluence of the Uruguay River and its tributary in the province of Misiones, Argentina. One of them is cleared for needs Agriculture, the other becomes almost red with clay during the rainy season.
Gega and Yupshara (Abkhazia)
The confluence of the Gega and Yupshara rivers in Abkhazia. Gega is blue, and Yupshara is brown.
Rio Negro and Solimões (cf. Amazon section) (Brazil)
The confluence of the Rio Negro and Solimões rivers in Brazil.
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 kilometers per hour and a temperature of 28 degrees Celsius, and the Solimoes at a speed of 4 to 6 kilometers and a temperature of 22 degrees Celsius.
Mosel and Rhine (Germany)
The confluence of the Moselle and Rhine rivers in Koblenz, Germany. The Rhine is lighter, the Moselle is darker.
Ilz, Danube and Inn (Germany)
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.
Kura and Aragvi (Georgia)
The confluence of the Kura and Aragvi rivers in Mtskheta, Georgia.
Alaknanda and Bhagirathi (India)
The confluence of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers in Devaprayag, India. Alaknanda is dark, Bhagirathi is light.
Irtysh and Ulba (Kazakhstan)
The confluence of the Irtysh and Ulba rivers in Ust-Kamenogorsk, Kazakhstan. The Irtysh is clean, the Ulba is muddy.
Thompson and Fraser (Canada)
Confluence of the Thompson and Fraser Rivers, British Columbia, Canada. The Fraser River is fed by mountain waters and therefore has muddier water than the Thompson River that flows through the plains.
Jialing and Yangtze (China)
The confluence of the Jialing and Yangtze rivers in Chongqing, China. The Jialing River, on the right, 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.
Argut and Katun (Russia)
The confluence of the Argut and Katun rivers in the Ongudai region, Altai, Russia. Argut is muddy, and Katun is clean.
Oka and Volga (Russia)
The confluence of the Oka and Volga rivers in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia. On the right is Oka (gray), on the left is Volga (blue).
Irtysh and Om (Russia)
The confluence of the Irtysh and Om rivers in Omsk, Russia. The Irtysh is muddy, the Om is transparent.
Cupid and Zeya (Russia)
The confluence of the Amur and Zeya rivers in Blagoveshchensk, Amur region, Russia. On the left is Cupid, on the right is Zeya.
Big Yenisei and Small Yenisei (Russia)
Confluence of the Greater Yenisei and the Lesser Yenisei near Kyzyl, Tyva Republic, Russia. On the left is the Big Yenisei, on the right is the Small Yenisei.
Irtysh and Tobol (Russia)
The confluence of the Irtysh and Tobol rivers near Tobolsk, Tyumen region, Russia. The Irtysh is light, muddy, the Tobol is dark, transparent.
Ardon and Tseydon (Russia)
The confluence of the Ardon and Tseydon rivers in North Ossetia, Russia. The muddy river is Ardon, and the light turquoise, clear river is Tseydon.
Katun and Koksa (Russia)
The confluence of the Katun and Koksa rivers near the village of Ust-Koksa, Altai, Russia. The Koksa River flows to the right, it has dark color water. On the left is Katun, water with a greenish tint.
Katun and Akkem (Russia)
The confluence of the Katun and Akkem rivers in the Altai Republic, Russia. Katun is blue, Akkem is white.
Chuya and Katun (Russia)
The confluence of the Chuya and Katun rivers in the Ongudai region of the Altai Republic, Russia
The waters of the Chuya in this place (after the confluence with the Chaganuzun River) acquire an unusual cloudy white lead color and seem dense and dense. Katun is clean and turquoise. Combining together, they form a single two-color stream with a clear boundary, and for some time they flow without mixing.
Belaya and Kama (Russia)
The confluence of the Kama and Belaya rivers in Agidel, Bashkiria, Russia. Belaya River blue color, and Kama is greenish.
Chebdar and Bashkaus (Russia)
The confluence of the Chebdar and Bashkaus rivers near Mount Kaishkak, Altai, Russia.
Chebdar is blue, originates at an altitude of 2500 meters above sea level, flows through a deep gorge, where the height of the walls reaches 100 meters. The Bashkaus is greenish at the confluence.
Ilet and mineral spring (Russia)
The confluence of the Ilet River and a mineral spring in the Mari El Republic, Russia.
Green and Colorado (USA)
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.
Ohio and Mississippi (USA)
Confluence of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, USA. Mississippi is green and Ohio is brown. The waters of these rivers do not mix and have a clear boundary at a distance of almost 6 km.
Monongahela and Allegheny (USA)
The confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers joins the Ohio River in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania, USA. At the confluence of the Monongahela and Allegheny rivers they lose their names and become the new Ohio River.
White and Blue Nile (Sudan)
Confluence of rivers White Nile and the Blue Nile in Khartoum, the capital of Sudan.
Araks and Akhuryan (Türkiye)
The confluence of the Araks and Akhuryan rivers near Bagaran, on the Armenia-Turkey border. On the right is Akhuryan (clean water), on the left is Araks (muddy water).
Rhone and Saone (France)
The confluence of the Saone and Rhone rivers in Lyon, France. The Rhone is blue, and its tributary the Saone is grey.
Drava and Danube (Croatia)
Confluence of the Drava and Danube rivers, Osijek, Croatia. On the right bank of the Drava River, 25 kilometers upstream from the confluence with the Danube, is the city of Osijek.
Rhone and Arv (Switzerland)
The confluence of the Rhone and Arve rivers in Geneva, Switzerland.
The river on the left is the transparent Rhône, which emerges from Lake Leman.
The river on the right is the muddy Arve, which is fed by many glaciers in the Chamonix valley.
September 29 – World Maritime Day – one of 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 1000 meters, retaining its more high 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. Reason surface tension is, varying degrees of density sea water. It turns out that there is an invisible water wall separating the waters.
IN Holy Quran a barrier is mentioned 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 Quran talks about the existence of an “impenetrable partition” 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. In the same way, the human eye is not able to see the division of water in estuaries into three types: fresh water, salt water and water in the watershed area.
(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.
There are many mysterious places and phenomena on Earth. One of such phenomena can be called the meeting of reservoirs whose waters do not mix. Many believe that these are the laws of physics, others consider them an inexplicable anomaly, and still others attribute this phenomenon to the vagaries of nature.
Jacques Cousteau and the Strait of Gibraltar
In 1967, German scientists tried to figure out the reasons why waters do not mix Indian Ocean and the Red Sea in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Jacques Cousteau decided to follow the example of his colleagues and study the non-mixing of the water column of the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea in the Strait of Gibraltar by analyzing the density and salinity of the waters.
The scientist believed that over many millennia the waters of the two reservoirs should have mixed. But even in those places where the sea and ocean seem to touch each other, they still retain their distinctive features.
What is surface tension of water
As it turned out, the reason for the non-mixing of waters of different reservoirs lies in the tension of the surface, and this is the main parameter of water. Without going deep into physics: this is the force thanks to which water molecules can connect with each other, so a drop, a puddle, a stream, etc. appear. And the stronger the surface tension, the less volatility of the liquid.
Well, for example, alcohol has a very small molecular binding force, so when it comes into contact with air it quickly evaporates. Fortunately, water has a very large value for this parameter, so there is still life on our planet.
You can visualize what surface tension is. To do this, take a bowl and slowly pour tea into it to the very brim. For some time, the tea will not overflow over the edges, and if you look closely, you can see a thin film on the surface of the drink, which will try to prevent the tea from spilling. This is what happens with reservoirs; each has its own surface tension, which, like a wall, prevents one reservoir from flowing into another.
Where can you see the boundaries between bodies of water?
In the northernmost part of Denmark, namely in the city of Skagen, the waters of the Baltic and North Seas meet. The Danes call the borders of the coast in Skagen “the edge of the world”:
- Atlantic Ocean and Caribbean Sea, Antilles
- Rio Negro and Solimões rivers, Brazil
- Uruguay River and its tributary, Argentina
- Green and Colorado Rivers, Utah, USA
- Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers, India
- Jialing and Yangtze Rivers, China
- Chuya and Katun rivers, Russia
- Rivers Moselle and Rhine, Germany
- Three rivers: Inn, Danube and Ilz, Germany
- Rivers Rhone and Arve, Switzerland
By the way, adherents of the Muslim faith are convinced that water bodies do not mix because Allah commanded so, because this was written in the Koran even before the moment when the natural phenomenon became known to science. They say that Jacques Cousteau converted to Islam only because he read about the non-mixing of waters in the Koran, and then was able to see all this in reality.
Why the waters of the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans do not mix, you will learn from this article.
Why don't the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans mix?
There is a place in the Gulf of Alaska where the Atlantic and Pacific oceans meet, but their waters do not mix. As you already understood, this phenomenon can be observed in the southwestern part of the Alaska coast.
Have you ever wondered why the two oceans in the Gulf of Alaska don't mix? One reason for this is fresh, meltwater from glaciers that enters the ocean, whose water is lighter. Created the difference in density and level of salt in the waters of the oceans, which prevents its mixing. E then the conventional border of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans created only by a strip of foam. Scientific name this phenomenon– halocline (salinity jump layer), indicating the transitional boundary between water with different salinity. The water of one ocean is 5 times saltier than another.
This amazing phenomenon was first observed by traveler, scientist and oceanographer Jacques Yves Cousteau when he explored the waters of the Strait of Gibraltar. He showed the world the existence of two layers of water that do not mix with each other. The waters of the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean as if separated by a film that creates clear boundaries. And of course, they are very different from each other - each layer has its own characteristic temperature, salt composition, flora and fauna, even the color of the water. And this is the most amazing thing.
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, animal and vegetable world. 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 in 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, according to 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 thunder for me clear skies. 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 is 1400 years behind, cannot be human speech. 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.
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