—Lancaster Farming, Saturday, Dec. 11, 1976
20
Hydrologic cycle gives Earth life
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the 15th article in a continuing
series on one of the most powerful and vital forces known to
man - the weather.
“The hydrodynamics of meteorology presents without
doubt the most complicated series of interrelated problems
not only that we know of but that we imagine.” So says
mathematician John von Neumann, who has spent much of
his career working with meteorological equations.
To understand von Neumann’s comment on a global scale,
we must realize that the Earth’s weather machine is powered
by some 240 trillion atomic horsepower per day. They’re
emitted from the sun. This inconceivable amount of power
chums our oceans and atmosphere constantly. More than
1000 billion tons of sea water are sucked up per day as a result
of this energy, and some 50,000 thunderstorms are spawned
daily. Each of these thunderstorms has the equivalent power
of a 1-megaton hydrogen bomb. All told, the Earth’s daily
thunderstorms release energy equal to explosions from
billions of tons of TNT. Is it any wonder then that an oc
casional storm comes along? And then there are also
hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, typhoons, severe drought,
and much more.
With its awesome powers, and the ability to give and take
- life, weather is the single' most important ingredient
necessary to sustain life.
What farmer hasn’t seen leaves of corn curled up tightly
and pointed straight for the sky in a prayer-like manner in
desperation of rain? Who hasn’t seen cracks in the Earth, as
the soil opens itself up for want of moisture? And who hasn’t
experienced the ravaging, devasting effects of a sudden
downpour?
Nobody who has ever farmed needs to be informed as to
how important rain is. That rain gauge on the corner fen
cepost is a most interesting little gadget.
Scientists call the constant exchange of water from ocean
to air to land and back to ocean the “the hydrologic cycle.”
That’s the mechanism which makes everything else tick, for
without water for our crops - we have nothing.
The hydrologic cycle is an unending exchange by which
water is constantly transferred from ocean to atmosphere,
from atmosphere to land, and finally, from land to sea.
Powering this whole system is the sun, of course. But there
are other factors involved which determine what’s going to
happen. Mountain ranges, for example, play a big roll as they
can block the path of rain clouds can cause them to release
theirprecious cargo sooner than they would have otherwide.
It is estimated that the “natural refining process” of
transforming and transferring salt water into usable fresh
water takes up about one-third of the total solar energy
reaching our planet. Evaporation is constantly taking place,
and naturally enough, so is precipitation.
Winds carry moisture laden air from the oceans to the
continents. Various air masses interact with each other due
to differing densities and temperatures. The air parcels
therefore keep moving in all directions (even up and down)
and eventually reach a stage where their moisture is con
densed and then precipitation falls. The most common forms
of precipitation are rain and snow. Less common types are
drizzle, hail, ice pellets, snow pellets, snow grains, and ice
crystals.
“The amount of water vapor that can exist in any given
space is a function of temperature: the warmer the air, the
more active its molecules and the greater its capacity for
water vapor,” say spokesmen at the National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). When its capacity is
reached, the air is saturated. At 70 degrees Fahrenheit, for
example, a cubic yard of saturated air can hold nearly four
tunes as much water vapor as the same volume of air at 32
degrees Fahrenheit.
With that in mind, we can understand why most of our
rainfall comes during the warmer seasons. Fortunately for
farmers in this part of the country, precipation most always
comes when it’s needed in the Spring, while moisture levels
are significantly lower during late Autumn. This year that
didn’t hold true 100 per cent, for Pennsylvania smce rain was
more than plentiful during harvest tune, but in most cases
that’s the way the cycle operates. And if it didn’t, we wouldn’t
have nearly the excellent growing conditions that we have in
and around the “Garden Spot.”
‘lron grandma 9 named
FLEMINGTON, N.J. -
Joining a select group of
cows recognized as “Iron
Grandmas” by the Holstem-
Fnesian Association of
America was Milk & Honey
Athene Ivanhoe, owned by J.
S Johnson, Cedar Lane
Farm, Oldwick, N.J. At the
age of 14 years, 8 months,
Athene’s lifetime output
stands at 210,657 pounds milk
and 8,486 pounds butterfat
This amounts to something
over 100,000 quarts of milk
produced And, she is still
gomg strong, according to
George Hamer, herdsman at
Cedar Lane Farm
Athene’s best record in a
single year was made when
she was six years, 10 months
By DIETER KRIEG
of age, milking twice daily
for 323 days, she produced
24,460 pounds of milk and
1,005 pounds*butterfat.
She is classified “Ex
cellent” and has been
designated “4E,” which
indicates that she had been
officially scored “Excellent”
on four consecutive
classifications
Athene was bred in the
Cedar Lane Farm herd She
was sired by Osborndale
Ivanhoe, (EX-CM)
TRY A
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December 10th thru December 23rd
Mon thru Sat.
Park City Mall Office
10 AM to 9 PM Sat.
of Farmers First Bank and their families not eligible
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Scientists say that there is always some amount of con
densation suspended in the air - even on the fairest of days.
But the moisture does not always fall. It takes some sort of
triggering device. In all instances, this trigger involves
temperature, and that can be broiight about by lifting the air.
Mountain ranges force air upwards in an obvious manner. As
it rises, the air cools, sublimation takes place, and presto,
rain falls. Air also rises due to its entering a low pressure
area, which, incidentally, is a. fine way of producing thun
derstorms and hurricanes. This system, as was described in
earlier “Weather Reports,” feeds on itself and can result in
some pretty heavy downpours.
A third way for air to be lifted is by frontal occlusions,
which is simply a cold anfi jßarm front colliding, and the
warm air being pushed up as a result of it. Once the warm air
is lifted high enough, precipitation falls.
Rain and other forms of precipitation return to the oceans
through streams and rivers, but not before they have given
refreshment to living things in their paths. And in some
cases, of course, also destruction. '
Farmers believe the hydrologic cycle is important enough
to be monitored with that raingage on the fencepost. During
planting and harvest seasons nearly all plans are made with
considerable consideration being given to the hydrologic
cycle.
The U.S. Weather Service believes this vital pycle deserves
an awful lot of attention. They have a network of more than
13,000 gauges to measure rain and snow, and use additional
information gathered by radar, aircraft, and satellites. All
things considered, theseinstruments have not only allowed
our society to plan for the days ahead a bit better, they have
annually saved'more than $lOO million in flood damages
alone and an untold number of lives.
Farmers First has two NEW Round the Clock
Tellers to serve you even better 24 hours a
day. To acquaint you with the new tellers,
anyone receiving a free demonstration
between December 10 and December 23rd
will be eligible to win in the Savings Bond
Bonanza. .
Nothing To Guess. Nothing To Buy
Something To See.
Each person receiving a demonstration will
receive a receipt which is also an entry
blank for the daily drawings. Two $25
Series E Bonds will be given away each
demonstration day.
Everyone* receiving a demonstration will
be eligible for the grand prize a $5OO
Series E Bond.
Lancaster Shopping Center Office
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Thurs., Fri
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