For example, let’s say 2.5 cm raindrops fell on an area of 20 m²; that would have filled 3.5 million 150-liter tubs. In other words, this means enough accumulated water for 3.5 million people to take a shower without turning on the water heater. But if we are talking about normal raindrops, we assume that these drops are 5 mm. Drops at this rate reach the earth by moving at a speed of 36 km per hour. Of course, smaller drops will have a lower rate of fall, and weather conditions are also a factor that changes this rate.
But have there ever been larger raindrops than this? Of course it was seen. The raindrops in Brazil in 1995 and the Marshall Islands in 1999 were 0.85 cm each. Here we are going to talk about a very abnormal situation where you can say, “What would happen if it had happened?”
This giant drop would have weighed an estimated hundreds of millions and would have been 1.6 km wide. As they prepared to slowly descend from the sky, most likely everyone would be afraid to hide in the safest place they could find.
While people are hiding in our hypothetical story, this giant raindrop falls to the ground at 322 km/h. When it falls to the ground, its outer surface turns into a spray-like form. Then the drop combines with the air and turns into foam.
If this drop were far from the earth, it would be broken into millions of drops by the wind. But when we consider the huge drop that is waiting to rain close to the surface to plunder the place, the wind unfortunately no longer has the power to tear it to pieces.
If you saw the giant drop in the sky, it could probably hit the ground after 10 seconds. The speed of the water at the time of impact is 724 km per hour… As you can see, this is almost 20 times higher than the normal precipitation rate.
First, the grass on the ground starts to catch fire before the giant drop falls to the surface as ‘dann’…
This is because the rate at which the air is withdrawn from under the drop is smaller than the rate at which the drop falls to the ground. It also causes the compression force to overheat the air. But there is nothing to worry about, because this giant drop that has already fallen from the sky will put out the flaming grass in an instant.
Also, the land where the body of water fell would suddenly explode into the air like those explosion scenes you watch in action movies. But still, the underlying bedrock would not be damaged, causing the water to spread out and crash into everything.
You can think of this spread of water as a flood, but the floods you have seen or watched on the news so far would be nothing compared to what we are talking about.
For example, in the United Kingdom, it rains every year, covering a total area of 291 cubic meters. Which is almost 4 times more than the volume of lakes and reservoirs at which the UK can channel this rainwater.
That’s why there are always problems like flooding. For example, if they encountered this huge raindrop that we are talking about, the country would probably be plundered.
If we come back to our topic, the flood created by these huge waters can spread over kilometers and destroy all the settlements, while dragging the soil with it. This means that the only thing left of the mainland is areas where you can take a mud bath.
Oh, and this flood would have continued non-stop and destroyed all the cities and countries it could go to for 32 kilometers per hour.
At best, some of these flood waters fill lakes and rivers; the rest flowed into towns and settlements. Locals, on the other hand, would probably be giving interviews in the news that came to the fore with the headline “interesting flash flood event”.
You know, they say we got caught in hail while escaping from the rain. Well, what if? What happens if you can’t escape this huge drop and stand right under it?
If the entire circumference of the drop is proportional to each other, in other words, symmetrical, the water will only fall around your body. However, that doesn’t mean you won’t be submerged.
The falling waters would literally form a huge sea, and you would most likely have to hold your breath, feeling the pressure of 1.6 km (as we mentioned at the beginning, the width of the raindrop can be at this rate).
This pressure is already equal to 155 atmospheres (the unit of atmospheric pressure at sea level and normal weather conditions). That is 155 times the pressure felt at sea level. Do you think you can survive in such a situation?
Because researches say that the maximum pressure a person can withstand is 71 atmospheres. Well, of course, let alone surviving in this situation, it would be a miracle if you survived even when a giant drop fell on you.
It wouldn’t matter if you were standing next to the giant drop of water and not directly under it. You ask why? Because this body of water, coming at a terrific speed, would hit you and throw you from place to place.
Let’s say you’re still alive and looking for a way out. Then you would start swimming in this puddle and try to land.
However, for this, you had to be able to hold your breath sufficiently and your lungs had to withstand this pace. During this time, you could understand that you were having a hard time because your eardrums were filled with pressure to the point of bursting.
This is the body’s response to an increase in pressure caused by air resistance. In short, trying to continue living in this situation is like a waste of time. In all probability, it ends in the village of wood.
To those who say that they are afraid of even a simple rain when you tell them:
So let’s talk about the formation of rain briefly. Have you ever heard of ghost rain? This occurs as a result of evaporation of raindrops as they approach the earth’s surface. In other words, you can think of it as a harmless natural phenomenon that does not concern us much.
For example, a raindrop is not like a tear, contrary to what most people think. The shapes of raindrops formed in the atmosphere are essentially spherical, that is, round. When the drop begins to fall from the sky, it only takes on a tear-like state due to air resistance.
Also, rain becomes snow first because clouds are made of flat crystals and freezing water. Rainwater adheres to the ice crystals and falls to the ground in the form of ice balls, namely snow.
However, as these snowflakes approach the surface of the hotter world, they melt and turn into rain. As you can see, the occurrence of a fairly normal natural phenomenon is not scary at all.
Fortunately, the huge raindrop we mentioned in the content is something we will never see. If such a disaster had happened to us, even science could not explain it. So what do you think? What would you do if you encountered a huge raindrop? Share your thoughts with us.
- Sources: YouTube, Science Focus, Bilim Genç TÜBİTAK
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