The first time it rained
Scientists like to tell us our world began about 14 billion years ago. Some people think differently, however. Since this is a scientific article, we will go with the older version.
After billions of years, a new star was born which became our sun. Gas, dust and flaming rocks were flying around the new star and beginning to orbit. Earth took shape as a molten inferno that scientists call the violent era or Hadean from the Greek word Hades or hell.
Our earth began to harden, but each time it was bombarded by storms of flaming meteors. Inside the earth were rocks that contained water and as the meteorites continued to crash into earth, water spewed out in the form of vapor. Many volcanoes also disgorged vapor. This vapor was actually water in its gaseous form and probably looked like steam coming from a boiling kettle.
Earth was still a molten mass and these vapors still could not condense, but instead hissed away into space. Over a long period of time, the water vapor began to build up in the atmosphere making the earth even hotter.
After perhaps another half billion years, the process began to wind down and our planet started to cool. As it cooled, the water vapor could now condense into clouds and it began to rain.
And rain it did, at first further cooling the earth and then it began filling the craters and crevices until the earth could absorb no more, spilling across the steamy landscape, filling the great basins and making the oceans.
Over time, as the rains continued and after the oceans filled, the waters began to seep below the land and seas filing the aquifers that today are a source of so much of our needed water. Somewhere along the way, these first rains lead to the first life, which continues to be nourished by the rains of today.
Perhaps as we continue to build our communities and cities, we need to be aware when our activities begin to threaten the viability of these underground water sources. Many of our cities in the Southwest receive only a few inches of rain per year, yet we continue with plans to build tens of thousands of new homes, shopping malls, golf courses and all the things that go with a community but require rain.
Much of the West this summer has not even received their few inches of rain and the devastating fires are a result. In the East, its鈥� all about too much rain. Where would we be if there was no more rain? Something to ponder as the sunshine returns and the rain takes a break.