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| ==[[The Quran and Mountains]]== | | ==[[The Quran and Mountains]]== |
| ===Mountains Stabilize the Earth's Rotation About its Axis===
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| The mass of the Earth is 5.97*10<sup>24</sup> kilograms. The mass of mountains is of much lower order, hence they have an infinitesimally small effect on the earth's moment of inertia. The earth's rotational speed and axial tilt are affected more by the distance of the moon from earth and [[w:Post-glacial rebound]] since the ice ages.
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| ===Mountains Absorb Some Waves During Earthquakes===
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| {{Quote|{{Quote|{{cite web|url=http://bssa.geoscienceworld.org/content/97/6/2066.abstract |title=Effects of Large-Scale Surface Topography on Ground Motions, as Demonstrated by a Study of the San Gabriel Mountains, Los Angeles, California |publisher= |author= |date= |archiveurl= |deadurl=no}}|We investigate the effects of large-scale surface topography on ground motions generated by nearby faulting. We show a specific example studying the effect of the San Gabriel Mountains, which are bounded by the Mojave segment of the San Andreas fault on the north and by the Los Angeles Basin on the south. By simulating a Mw 7.5 earthquake on the Mojave segment of the San Andreas fault, we show that the San Gabriel Mountains act as a natural seismic insulator for metropolitan Los Angeles. The topography of the mountains scatters the surface waves generated by the rupture on the San Andreas fault, leading to less-efficient excitation of basin-edge generated waves and natural resonances within the Los Angeles Basin. The effect of the mountains reduces the peak amplitude of ground velocity for some regions in the basin by as much as 50% in the frequency band up to 0.5 Hz. These results suggest that, depending on the relative location of faulting and the nearby large-scale topography, the topography can shield some areas from ground shaking.}}
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| Such studies are sometimes quoted by apologists to prove their point. It is clear however, that earthquakes are not prevented. Only the waves are somewhat affected by the presence of mountains as proven in the above simulation. If there were an earthquake larger than 7.5 or if a settlement were situated between its epicenter and a mountain range, there would be widespread destruction anyway.
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| ==[[Scientific Errors in the Hadith]]== | | ==[[Scientific Errors in the Hadith]]== |