There's sure been a lot of water falling in these parts recently. Everyday, so it seems, arrives grey and wet. I know it's partly seasonal and to do with prevailing weather patterns but I did wonder this damp morning if there is more water around than there used to be.
"There is roughly about the same amount of water on Earth now as there was in the Mesozoic period. All water that is breathed, drunk, and urinated by living things remains as part of the planet’s total water content.
The total amount is not exactly constant, as there are two fluxes of water between Earth and the rest of the solar system. There is a steady rain of water-bearing meteoroids hitting the planet, which slowly increases the amount of water. At the same time, molecules of water often dissociate in the upper atmosphere into hydrogen and oxygen due to ultraviolet light from the sun. Some of the hydrogen atoms have enough energy to escape from Earth’s gravitational field, and so are lost. This slowly decreases the amount of water.
In addition, tectonic plate subduction is constantly carrying water down into Earth’s mantle, and volcanoes are constantly spewing water out onto the surface again. The balance between these two processes can change considerably over time.
But all of these fluxes are small compared to the total amount of water on Earth, and two of them are in the opposite direction of the other two. So the overall change is insignificant, even when considered over long spans of geologic time."
Is the Earth a 'closed' system (a cycle of rainfall and evaporation)? Do we lose water vapour from the atmosphere? Or can there really be more water in our ecosphere than there used to be, and if so, where does 'new' water come from? These are all valid questions. I decided to consult a scientist. He said:
The total amount is not exactly constant, as there are two fluxes of water between Earth and the rest of the solar system. There is a steady rain of water-bearing meteoroids hitting the planet, which slowly increases the amount of water. At the same time, molecules of water often dissociate in the upper atmosphere into hydrogen and oxygen due to ultraviolet light from the sun. Some of the hydrogen atoms have enough energy to escape from Earth’s gravitational field, and so are lost. This slowly decreases the amount of water.
In addition, tectonic plate subduction is constantly carrying water down into Earth’s mantle, and volcanoes are constantly spewing water out onto the surface again. The balance between these two processes can change considerably over time.
But all of these fluxes are small compared to the total amount of water on Earth, and two of them are in the opposite direction of the other two. So the overall change is insignificant, even when considered over long spans of geologic time."
I thought you'd all like to know that, if you didn't already. Onwards (and downwards).
I've blogged about water in various guises before. I don't mean solid, liquid or gas, though I've dome that too. I'm referring to blogs about the sea, or floods, or thunderstorms, or water as the essence of life (with mermaids in it) as linked here: Essence
On the lookout for a new angle I thought that this time I'd investigate how we as human beings have managed to harness the power of water falling in the shape of the water wheel, specifically the overshot variety as pictured.
The flow of water is channelled to drop onto the wheel which has a series of cups around its circumference and the weight of water falling into the cups causes the wheel to rotate in a clockwise direction (as shown), with gearing converting the power of the rotational movement into something with a practical application - like the grinding of grain, the turning of a lathe or the generation of electricity.
On the lookout for a new angle I thought that this time I'd investigate how we as human beings have managed to harness the power of water falling in the shape of the water wheel, specifically the overshot variety as pictured.
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| an overshot water wheel in action |
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| how am overshot water wheel works |
There used to be many thousands of working water wheels around the world from times BC until the arrival of mains electricity made most of them redundant, rusting relics of a pre-industrial era. But maybe in a post-industrial age, their waterfalling turn will come again. Who knows.
Anyway, to close here's a new poem written just yesterday (on the Ides of March). Humouresque (though not to be sung), I don't much like poems with a lot of repetition in them - but hey, it's not about what I like...and the water keeps on falling. I hope it amuses in places, intrigues in others, provokes occasionally, but above all entertains. Let me know if it works for you. It's obviously capable of extension as well, so ideas are welcomed!
Water Falls
Unzip a cloud
water falls
Pull on the chain
water falls
Torture a prisoner
water falls
Fire alarm triggers
water falls
Lucifer descending
Angel Falls
Grieve for a loss
water falls
Sing in the shower
water falls
Edge of the world
water falls
Crocodile tears
water falls
Ides of March seer
Caesar Falls
Frozen pipes burst
water falls
Ice-bucket challenge
water falls
Weather for ducks
water falls
Day at the races
water falls
Becher's and Valentine's
Horseshoe Falls
Hose-piping flower beds
water falls
Sat in the car-wash
water falls
Reservoir summer
water falls
Under rolling thunder
water falls
Oh shit Sherlock
Reichenbach Falls
When the dam breaks
water falls
Cry for the moon
water falls
Crank up the Handel
water falls
Mill on the Floss
water falls
Maids in the mist
Viagra Falls
Thanks for reading, S ;-)