I commented on Andrew Careaga's post about my last post (Ice Theory Does Not Hold Water) that I needed to re-read Nof's paper and comment on it as a scientist. I haven't read the entire paper, but one part of it jumped out at me.

Nof and his colleagues state in the paper:

Using one-dimesional [sic] analytical models, we shall demonstrate, however, that local 'springs ice' (i.e., freezing and ice formation in a confined region directly above the plumes created by the salty springs) requires merely a few days of below freezing temperatures. This is because the salty springs water creates a strong salt-induced stratification (above the plume) that inhibits convection. Consequently, the cooling process goes immediately to ice formation on top rather than toward convection and a total cooling of the entire lake to 4 °C. Note, however, that the required cold spell of a few days must be relatively calm, with wind speeds of less than, say, 6 m/s. Otherwise, the wind would mix the plume into the fresh water above, destroying the stratification and preventing a no-convection cooling process. Such calm periods are very common around the lake.

But again in this attempt to explain Jesus' walk across the surface of the Sea of Galilee, Nof ignores an important piece of evidence. Matthew 14:24 states: "But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary." The maximum wind speed for ice formation in Nof's paper is 6 meters per second. In the Beaufort scale, which is commonly used to describe wind speeds, 6 meters per second corresponds to Beaufort number 4, moderate breeze. For the open ocean, this is described as "small waves". However, the passage of scriptures describe the boat as "battered by the waves", which clearly indicates more than a calm sea. Therefore, the formation of the salty layer below the freshwater layer would not have happened due to mixing by wind and wave action. Because the mixing disturbs the layer of salty water, the water at the surface cools to 4 °C (which is the temperature at which water is the most dense. The density of water increases above and below that temperature) and sinks, thus preventing the formation of ice at 0 °C.

It is unfortunate that Nof chose to disregard the information that is given before and after the account of Jesus walking on water. While it is sometimes necessary to disregard information in the scientific process, it should be done using sound scientific and mathematical methods, not picking and choosing what data supports our hypothesis.

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