The Function of Mountains . God has said in the Quran: “Have We not made the earth as a bed, and the mountains as pegs?” (Quran 78:6-7) Modern earth sciences have proven that mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground (see figure 3) and that these roots can reach several times their elevations above the surface of the ground. So the most suitable word to describe mountains on the basis of this information is the word ‘peg,’ since most of a properly set peg is hidden under the surface of the ground. The history of science tells us that the theory of mountains having deep roots was introduced only in the latter half of the nineteenth century. Mountains also play an important role in stabilizing the crust of the earth They hinder the shaking of the earth. God has said in the Quran: “And He has set firm mountains in the earth so that it would not shake with you...” (Quran 16:15) Likewise, the modern theory of plate tectonics holds that mountains work as stabilizers for the earth. This knowledge about the role of mountains as stabilizers for the earth has just begun to be understood in the framework of plate tectonics since the late 1960’s The Quran draws attention to a very important geological function of mountains. We placed firmly embedded mountains on the earth, so it would not move under them… (The Quran, 21:31) This fact was not known by anyone at the time the Quran was revealed. It was in fact brought to light only recently as a result of the findings of modern geology. As we have noticed, it is stated in the verse that mountains have the function of preventing shocks in the Earth. According to these findings, mountains emerge as a result of the movements and collisions of massive plates forming the Earths crust. When two plates collide, the stronger one slides under the other, the one on the top bends and forms heights and mountains. The layer beneath proceeds under the ground and makes a deep extension downward. That means that mountains have a portion stretching downwards, as large as their visible parts on the Earth. In a scientific text, the structure of mountains is described as follows: Where continents are thicker, as in mountain ranges, the crust sinks deeper into the mantle In a verse, this role of the mountains is pointed out by a comparison with pegs: Have We not made the earth as a bed and the mountains its pegs? (The Quran, 78:6-7) Mountains, in other words, clench the plates in the Earths crust together by extending above and beneath the Earths surface at the conjunction points of these plates. In this way, they fix the Earths crust, and prevent it from drifting over the magma stratum or among its plates. Briefly, we may liken mountains to nails that keep pieces of wood together. This fixing function of the mountains is described in scientific literature by the term isostasy. Isostasy means the following: Isostasy: general equilibrium in the Earths crust maintained by a yielding flow of rock material beneath the surface under gravitational stress This vital role of mountains, that was discovered by modern geology and seismic research, was revealed in the Quran centuries ago as an example of the supreme wisdom in Gods creation. With extensions that mountains extend out towards under the ground as well as over the ground, they clench different plates of the earth together like a peg. The Earths crust consists of plates that are in constant motion. This clenching property of mountains prevents shocks to a great extent, by fixing the earths crust, which has a very movable structure. A book entitled Earth is a basic reference textbook in many universities around the world. One of its two authors is Professor Emeritus Frank Press. He was the Science Advisor to former US President Jimmy Carter, and for 12 years was the President of the National Academy of Sciences, Washington, DC. His book says that mountains have underlying roots. These roots are deeply embedded in the ground, thus, mountains have a shape like a peg (see figures 1, 2, and 3). Figure 1: Mountains have deep roots under the surface of the ground. (Earth, Press and Siever, p. 413.) Figure 2: Schematic section. The mountains, like pegs, have deep roots embedded in the ground. (Anatomy of the Earth, Cailleux, p. 220.) Figure 3: Another illustration shows how the mountains are peg-like in shape, due to their deep roots. (Earth Science, Tarbuck and Lutgens, p. 158.)
Posted on: Sun, 28 Dec 2014 13:15:26 +0000
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