Spring is (basically) here and with spring comes, of course, spring weather. Now, for some of us, this may simply mean warmer days, but for the rest of us, we can expect to see a lot of rain, (and maybe even some severe weather!) But today we’re talking strictly about rain, and while it may not seem all that wild, rain is still weather and that’s quite the natural phenomenon to us. Let’s get started!
(image via: pexels)
Rain has its own aroma. Have you ever been out and about on a day where rain is expected and you think to yourself: “it smells like rain.” Well, you aren’t wrong! While it may not be raining in the exact location you are, odds are, it’s fallen somewhere close. When raindrops fall on clay or dusty soils, they trap air bubbles on the surface which raise up and bust out, which produces a pocket of scent that then travels by way of the wind. The smell of rain even has a name, ‘Petrichor’.
Raindrops are actually shaped like hamburger buns. That’s right, as raindrops fall they become less spherical, and more flat on the bottom. This is mostly because of the rate at which they fall.
Phantom rain is a thing that exists. In dry, hot places rain sometimes evaporates before it even touches the ground. And yeah, this looks super cool. What you’ll see is a curtain of rain dangling but nothing ever actually coming down, then the clouds disappear and it’s all over.
Rain has been around for some time. Scientists have discovered fossils containing indentations of rain dating back 2.7 billion years ago.
(image via: istock)
It takes about two minutes for a raindrop to hit the ground. Now, of course, the size of raindrops at the height at which they’re falling can differ, but generally speaking, raindrops fall at an average of 14 mph, from a cloud height of about 2,500 feet. If the raindrops are super tiny, they can take about seven minutes to hit the ground, while large raindrops can fall at a rate of 20 mph.
Not all raindrops are made of water. Rain is also made of sulfuric acid or methane, which can also be found on other planets in our solar system.
Where do you think the least amount of rain falls? If you guessed the desert then you’re actually incorrect. While covered in ice, Antarctica only receives 6.5 inches of rain (or snow!) per year.