Under Pressure

What are the waters of the deep?

In Parshas Noach, we learn that the waters of the Mabul came from rain and from “the springs of the deep.” What are those? Under the surface of the earth is a hidden world of underground water and heat. Rainwater seeps into cracks in the rock, and when there is molten rock close to the surface, the water heats up to sometimes boiling temperatures, building up pressure. When it gets high enough, the water bursts upward. That is called a geyser, a natural fountain. Famous examples include Old Faithful in Yellowstone, which shoots up on a predictable schedule, or the geysers in Iceland. In the ocean, vents in the ocean floor spew out superheated water and minerals. The Mabul was not just rain, but a flood from both above and below.