Topic: Earth Science / Geography
Ever wonder why the oceans don’t just keep rising until coastal cities are underwater, considering trillions of gallons of rain fall across the planet every day?
It all comes down to a process called the Global Hydrologic Balance. Earth is basically a closed system—meaning water doesn’t really leave or get added to the planet. The exact amount of water that pours down as rain equals the amount that evaporates back up into the air from solar heat.
While climate change definitely shifts where it rains and how intense storms get, the actual total volume of water on Earth has stayed pretty much the same for billions of years. In fact, the water in your morning drink today could easily contain the exact same molecules a Tyrannosaurus Rex drank millions of years ago.
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