And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8 (ESV)

And God said, “Let the vapors separate to form the sky above and the oceans below.” So God made the sky, dividing the vapor above from the water below. This all happened on the second day.

Genesis 1:6-8 (TLB)

The development of Earth’s water cycle was not a single event but a gradual emergence tied to the planet’s thermal evolution, atmospheric chemistry, and surface stabilization. By the early Archean eon (~4.0–3.5 Ga), Earth likely possessed persistent oceans and a stabilized crust, allowing the water cycle to take on a more recognizable form. Evaporation from ocean surfaces, atmospheric transport of water vapor, condensation into clouds, and precipitation became cyclic processes rather than one-time events.

This chronicles the creation of the earth’s atmosphere, the sky, between the thick opaque water vapors above the sky and the seas beneath the sky.

Probable Time Frame ~3.8 to ~3.5 billion years ago

  • Fully active water cycles (~3.8 billion years ago)
  • Mature global hydrologic cycle (~3.5 billion years ago)

Videos about Day 2 of Creation

Playlist

11 Videos
YouTube TitleDescription
The History of the Earth's AtmosphereHistory of the chemical composition of the early earth and the atmosphere.
What Earth's Early Atmosphere Was LikeBig History presentation of Earth's atmosphere. Creation of an endless cycle of warming, cooling, and recovery.
The Early AtmosphereFirst earth atmosphere. Collision, moon, Hadean. Cynobacteria. Banded iron formations.
How Bad Was the Great Oxidation Event?Description of various destructive events in earth's history. In the latter part of the video the great oxidation event from photosynthesis is explained.
What Was The Earth Like 3 Billion Years Ago?Overview of what the earth may have been like from about 4.1 bya to 2.5 bya.