"It's raining! It's pouring! The old man is snoring! Jumped out of bed and
bumped his head and couldn't get up in the morning!" We've all heard it,
right? If you haven't (I'll be surprised), it's a nursery rhyme from way
back when about rain. And I guess by now you should be catching on that
today's subject is rain.
Lately, in my area, we have had a couple of really hot days, and then a day
of rain. And it'll just keeping going like this. So I decided that, seeing
as today was a rainy day, I had a good topic. And I found out some really
interesting stuff! (This won't be as boring as you think.)
Rain is a part of the science of meteorology, or the study of weather. For
some people, rain is just another way to get wet. For other people, it is
connected to godly powers and superstitions. Some older people claim they
can smell it, before it rains, or their joints begin to ache. Most people
have probably heard the expression that leaves will turn over to "catch" the
rain.
Most people believe that raindrops are heavier near the bottom, getting
skinner near the top, and ending in a point. I hate to be the one to break
it to you, but that's not true! Smaller drops of rain are often in a
circular form, and bigger drops tend to be elongated.
When people say they can smell rain, they do smell something. But is it
rain? Ever tried to smell the rain in January when the ground is frozen
solid? It isn't possible. If the humidity in the ground goes above 75%,
plants will start to release oils that mix with other earthy smells. Moist
air will make it easier to smell this.
So what do the two have to do with each other? Well, have you ever noticed
that oftentimes before a big storm it feels kind of muggy in the air?
That's the moisture that we often associate with rain.
And what about leaves turning upside down to trap the rain? Well, this
really does happen, but there is a scientific explanation. Most of the time,
the wind in a certain area will come from pretty much the same direction,
although this may change with the seasons. These are called "prevailing
winds". When there is a change in the weather direction, the leaves are affected.
This causes them to turn upside down. Often, just like humidity, a change in
wind direction often happens right before a storm or before rainfall.
And what about the elderly having aching joints? Well, doctors can't exactly
agree on this. As of right now, most are fine with the theory that right
before rainfall, the air pressure changes. It makes sense that this could
cause a little extra pain in what are already problem areas. Ah, the joys of
being an old person, hey?
So what do you guys think? Never look at rain the same way again. There's a
lot to it. Don't believe me? Well, I'm planning on writing another article about it
soon. You're not going to believe what I've learned.
This is Giggler, being eaten by mosquitoes and deciding that Pinelope is
right when she says Pepsi Twist tastes like soap. I hope my mom won't mind
me spitting in the sink...
