according to al-suyuti, abu'l-fida, and bar hebraeus, the capian sea ("great sea" in their narratives), sunk 8 fathoms, and retired 500 yards from its previous coast. new "rocks" (skerries) and islands appeared due to this withdrawal. miskawayh reports that the changes in the coastal formations perplexed the sailors who navigated the caspian sea. an additional detail reported by a chronicle is that the caspian sea seemed to be in a state of convulsion at the time of the disaster.