What Makes Rain

Discusses the science behind rain.

“Rain, rain, go away” is a phrase we often hear, but readers may change their minds when they learn the science behind one of nature’s most frequent phenomena. Readers learn why we need rain and what has to happen for Earth to stay hydrated. Age-appropriate content explains every step of the water cycle, while a detailed infographic helps readers visualize the process. Full-color photographs accompany the text, turning rainy days into something wondrous and exciting.

The fresh water supplies of the Earth are finite and as the world's population continues to grow humanity's thirst for this water seems unquenchable. Intense pressure is being exerted upon freshwater resources and a lack of adequate clean water is seen as one of the most serious global problems for the 21st century. Indeed it has been said that the next war will be fought over water, not oil. Human health and the health of supporting ecosystems increasingly depends upon our ability to find, control, manage and understand water. In a single volume, The Encyclopedia of Hydrology and Water Resources provides the reader with a comprehensive overview and understanding of the diverse field of hydrology. The intimate inclusion of material on water resources emphasizes the practical applications of this field, applications which are indispensable in any modern approach to the subject. This volume is a vital reference for all hydrologists, hydrogeologists and water engineers worldwide, whether they are concerned with the exploitation of new sources of water, the protection and management of existing reserves, or the science of surface water and groundwater flow. 114 eminent scientists from 17 countries worldwide have contributed to this authoritative volume. Superbly illustrated throughout, it includes almost 300 entries on a range of key topics, including arid and semi-arid zones, climates and climate change, floods and droughts, desertification, entropy, flow measurement, groundwater, hydrological cycle, hydrological models, infiltration, karst hydrology, paleohydrology, precipitation, remote sensing, river pollution prevention, rivers, lakes and seas, satellite hydrology, soil erosion, water treatment, water use, weather radar, and world water balance.

Rain is elemental, mysterious, precious, destructive. It is the subject of countless poems and paintings; the top of the weather report; the source of the world's water. Yet this is the first book to tell the story of rain. Cynthia Barnett's Rain begins four billion years ago with the torrents that filled the oceans, and builds to the storms of climate change. It weaves together science—the true shape of a raindrop, the mysteries of frog and fish rains—with the human story of our ambition to control rain, from ancient rain dances to the 2,203 miles of levees that attempt to straitjacket the Mississippi River. It offers a glimpse of our "founding forecaster," Thomas Jefferson, who measured every drizzle long before modern meteorology. Two centuries later, rainy skies would help inspire Morrissey’s mopes and Kurt Cobain’s grunge. Rain is also a travelogue, taking readers to Scotland to tell the surprising story of the mackintosh raincoat, and to India, where villagers extract the scent of rain from the monsoon-drenched earth and turn it into perfume. Now, after thousands of years spent praying for rain or worshiping it; burning witches at the stake to stop rain or sacrificing small children to bring it; mocking rain with irrigated agriculture and cities built in floodplains; even trying to blast rain out of the sky with mortars meant for war, humanity has finally managed to change the rain. Only not in ways we intended. As climate change upends rainfall patterns and unleashes increasingly severe storms and drought, Barnett shows rain to be a unifying force in a fractured world. Too much and not nearly enough, rain is a conversation we share, and this is a book for everyone who has ever experienced it.

Follows the journey of a raindrop through the water cycle and briefly discusses the characteristics and importance of water.

A quantitative introduction to atmospheric science for students and professionals who want to understand and apply basic meteorological concepts but who are not ready for calculus.

Describes how clouds, hail, snow, and rain form, and discusses why the water cycle is important.

Featuring a new introduction by Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney, this much-beloved classic has been carefully restored for a new generation. One of TIME's 100 Best Children's Books of All Time! My House goes walking every day... and rain makes applesauce. Oh, you're just talking silly talk! So begins this award-winning collection of nonsense verse and images. A story-hour favorite since it was first published in 1964, this beloved read-aloud has been carefully remastered to bring back the rich, vivid details of its Caldecott Honor-winning artwork. Featuring an introduction by Caldecott Medalist Jerry Pinkney, Rain Makes Applesauce is popular both as a bedtime story and as a go-to title for elementary teachers of creative writing. Created by the unique team of legendary NASA publicist Julian Scheer and illustration master Marvin Bileck, this influential picture book has inspired artists and writers, as well as young children creating their own nonsense stories, for more than 50 years.