Do plants make rain?
If so do they do it deliberately and intelligently?
A popular science book (Dr Karl) here, talks about about the different rainfall patterns on either side of the
rabbit-proof fence in WA.
One side is wheat farm the other scrubby bush. There is more rainfall on the scrubby bush side
I thought I read somewhere that plants exude chemicals that float up into the clouds and help "seed" rainfall.
I am sure I have read that plant chemicals help produce rainfall in the Amazon.
In fact, I am sure I read that scientists could tell were the rain formed by analysing the chemicals in the fallen rain.
I can't find that article now
I did come across this
Quote:
As already mentioned, nuclei are essential for the condensation of water from the air, either in form of dew or of rain, but it is no0t yet clear how a nucleus is to be understood and how it works. Aitken invented a simple apparatus by means of which the nuclei present in the air could be counted, and which showed that their number is not increased by blowing coal, coke, or ordinary dust into the air.
Sometimes a difference is made between solid dust particles and hygroscopic substances in the air, but one cannot see why, e.g., a calcium chloride particle suspended in more or less humid air should be more hygroscopic than a carbon particle under the same circumstances. One would rather attribute a different effect of a nucleus and an ordinary particle to a different electric potential. However, this will not be further discussed at present.
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from the same article
Quote:
One process of making rain may be mentioned, because it is not well known, and is supposed to be effective, though it has not been studied scientifically. Some of the northern parts of Mexico consist of desert-like plains, partly overgrown with cacti.
Under certain conditions, which appear to be great heat, no wind, and a cloudless sky, the Indians set the cacti afire, thus creating a tremendous heat. After a very short time a downpour of rain sets in, which lasts for a few minutes only.
This is the description given to the author, and if true the explanation may be that the heat of the fire pushes wet layers of the air higher up, that they get cooled beneath the dew point and drop their water in the form of rain.
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Wolf Klaphake: "Practical Methods for Condensation of Water from the Atmosphere" ~ Proc. Soc. of Chemical Industry of Victoria (Australia) 37: 1093-1103 (1936)
So the heat, or do the cacti have special nuclei ?
I can' get to this article
Access : More plants make more rain : Nature News
Airborne bugs make rain and snow
Airborne bugs make rain and snow (ABC News in Science)
So the heat, or do the cacti have special nuclei ?
