So, Where Did All of the Water Go in the Time of Noah? – Three Different Perspectives – Which Do You Believe?

The question of where all the water went after the Flood in Noah’s time is a fascinating one. The Bible describes a global flood that covered even the highest mountains (Genesis 7:19-20). So, if the Earth was once completely submerged, where did all that water go? Let’s explore biblical, scientific, and possible supernatural explanations, and let you decide for yourself…Are you in?

1. Biblical Perspective: What Happened to the Waters?

A. The Waters Receded by God’s Command

Genesis 8:1-3 (KJV) states:
“And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the waters assuaged; The fountains also of the deep and the windows of heaven were stopped, and the rain from heaven was restrained; And the waters returned from off the earth continually: and after the end of the hundred and fifty days the waters were abated.”

This suggests that the water returned somewhere—but where? The Bible gives us some clues:

• Psalm 104:6-9 (KJV) describes God setting boundaries for the waters so they would not cover the Earth again:
  “Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains. At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away. They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.”
  • This implies that God reshaped the Earth—possibly forming deep oceans, valleys, and trenches to hold the excess water.

Well, this is an interesting perspective indeed. God reshaping the structure of the earth with deep trenches and valleys would certainly create a place for the excess water to flow into.

2. Scientific Explanations: Where Did the Water Go?

Many scientists, including creationist geologists, propose several ways the floodwaters were redistributed, even considering the explanation above. Let’s take a look at their theory:

A. The Water Is Still Here—in the Oceans

• About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered in water today.
• Before the Flood, the Earth may have had a different topography, with shallower seas and fewer deep trenches.
• After the Flood, continental shifts and ocean basin formations provided places for the water to settle.

Evidence for this theory:

• The Mariana Trench in the Pacific Ocean is over 36,000 feet deep, capable of holding massive amounts of water.
• The average ocean depth is about 12,100 feet, meaning there’s plenty of room for Flood waters to have collected.

B. Some Water Went Underground

Genesis 7:11 states:
“The fountains of the great deep were broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.”

• This suggests massive underground water reservoirs were involved in the Flood.
• Modern science has discovered vast underground oceans trapped within Earth’s crust:
  • A study in 2014 found a huge underground reservoir beneath North America, containing more water than all of the world’s surface oceans combined.
  • This aligns with Job 38:16 (KJV): “Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea? Or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?”

C. Some Water Evaporated into the Atmosphere

• After the Flood, evaporation and atmospheric changes could have stored more water in the form of clouds and ice caps.
• The Antarctic and Arctic ice sheets contain a significant portion of Earth’s water today.

D. Post-Flood Geological Changes

Some believe that massive tectonic shifts, volcanic activity, and erosion reshaped the Earth to store the excess water in deep ocean basins.

• The Grand Canyon and other deep valleys may have been formed by the receding floodwaters.
• Plate tectonics could have lifted mountains higher while creating deeper ocean basins.

3. The Supernatural Perspective: Did God Remove Some Water?

While science explains how water redistributed, some believe that God may have supernaturally removed some of the water:

• Just as God brought the flood, He could have commanded some waters to vanish or be taken into the heavens.
• Isaiah 51:10 (KJV) mentions God drying up waters:
  “Art thou not it which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep?”

So, what do you think happened to the water? Is it the Biblical, Scientific, or the Supernatural Perspective that you believe happened? Are you set firmly on one of these answers, or perhaps you believe in several theories as possible answers.

For me personally, I have found that TRUTH consists of all three perspectives coming together in providing the final answer. Let’s explore what that perspective might look like:

The floodwaters were likely redistributed rather than disappearing completely. The main explanations include:

1. Tectonic changes reshaped the Earth, lifting mountains and deepening the seas.
2. Excess water filled the oceans and trenches (which are vast enough to hold them).
3. Some water returned underground into deep reservoirs.
4. Some evaporated into the atmosphere, contributing to the water cycle.
5. God may have supernaturally removed part of the water.

Does this perspective ring true with you? Science and “Gods Actions” often are in complete harmony, due to the simple fact that God works through natural means. If God were to create mountains to rise up through tectonic plate movements, so it would show to the scientists studying this event that the mountain was formed by tectonic plate movements. Harmoney due to truth of what happened… and what happened, a result of God working through natural means.

We, together, can come to know God in greater detail by studying and acknowledging His handywork. When you look around, do you see the things that He has created? If not, you will, as the rain will come down and refreshingly remind you.