Why is there water on the surface of the planet?

[Rod Rammage]

If I empty one of my "fluid jars" into my lawn, it soaks into the ground.

So why doesn't all the water on the surface sink into the ground?

All the seas and stuff.

Right down to the hot molten core, where the umpa lumpas live?

Then, it would all steam up, and rise up through geysers, turning into clouds, then raining and sinking into the ground again.


Hmm?

I bet NO ONE knows the answer.

[Bigel]

Because some rocks don't absorb water?

[BJG1]

pour the water into a swimming pool with a rock floor, watch it not disappear.

Edited by BJG1 on Wednesday 6th August 17:42

[V8S]

Rocks absorb bloodstained semen better than water.

[Rod Rammage]

Bigel said:

Because some rocks don't absorb water?

Well, that's true, but look here - try pouring water on a rock.

It just runs off.

So the water trickles down into the earth, meets a rock, then trickles AROUND IT.



Some fecking funny business going on, if you ask me.

[Neil_H]

I take it you were alseep when the water cycle was being explained in primary school?

[havoc]

Saturation. And rocks.

Rocks are denser than water.
Earth/sand is not.

Therefore, if you pour water onto earth/sand, it will soak in, until it reaches saturation level, at which point you have water with earth/sand in it.

But if you pour water onto rock, it will roll off. There is a more chemical explanation to do with bonds and valency and all that gubbins, but I'm b'ggered if I can remember it at 5.30pm and I'd probably get it wrong anyway.

So...the oceans...are essentially rocky basins (with sand at the bottom usually), so the water can't 'roll off' (due to gravity acting downwards not sideways), so it sits there.

As an experiment, take a bunch of mixing bowls, half-bury them in your garden, then turn the hose on and keep hosing your garden down until it's waterlogged. The bowls will contain lots of water, the garden will just look a mess...



Finally...under-sea volcanoes/crevasses/vents. These WOULD let water in, were the pressure underneath not great enough that gases etc. are too busy being forced out (which it is and they are). So again there - no leakage.


Alternatively, you can believe that the great green arkleseizure used his handkerchief to line the oceans and that's why they look an odd green colour!

[ff5317]

BJG1 said:

pour the water into a swimming ball with a rock floor, watch it not disappear.

Quite intrigued at the idea of a swimming ball. Please enlighten me, I want one.

[Rod Rammage]

Neil_H said:

I take it you were alseep when the water cycle was being explained in primary school?

Sorry, I'm not buying it.

Anyone who has ever emptied a jug of lemonade off a car park onto some children will know that water moves far too quickly for all of that nonsense to be true.

[thewave]

I love it how some people are actually trying to give a sensible answer to a Rod thread

[ludo]

havoc said:

Saturation. And rocks.

Rocks are denser than water.
Earth/sand is not.

Errr, sand is denser than water, which is why there is tons of the stuff under the sea, at the bottom.

[V8S]

ludo said:

havoc said:

Saturation. And rocks.

Rocks are denser than water.
Earth/sand is not.

Errr, sand is denser than water, which is why there is tons of the stuff under the sea, at the bottom.

Sand is oompah lumpah skin cells that have fallen off when they have been sleeping. It's not called the sea bed for nothing.

[sleep envy]

V8S said:

Sand is oompah lumpah skin cells that have fallen off when they have been sleeping. It's not called the sea bed for nothing.

[Rod Rammage]

ludo said:

havoc said:

Saturation. And rocks.

Rocks are denser than water.
Earth/sand is not.

Errr, sand is denser than water, which is why there is tons of the stuff under the sea, at the bottom.

Hmm... I did once see a clump of earth floating though. It has grass on it.

But then... how come water "oozes" into earth?


See, science has run out of answers. Time to go back to "hocus pocus".

And also "mumbo jumbo".

[Rod Rammage]

havoc said:

Therefore, if you pour water onto earth/sand, it will soak in, until it reaches saturation level, at which point you have water with earth/sand in it.

Yes, but the earth isn't saturated is it. Otherwise the hot molten core would go out.

Then gravity would stop and we'd all float off.

And dead umpa lumpas would float up, in strange "rivers from the centre of the earth".

havoc said:

But if you pour water onto rock, it will roll off.

Yeah I know.

It would roll off - INTO THE EARTH RIGHT NEXT TO IT.

Then sink down, EXACTLY AS I HYPOTHESISED.

havoc said:

So...the oceans...are essentially rocky basins

How could anyone know that.

Shirley no one had been down doing ground surveys on the WHOLE OF THE BOTTOM OF THE SEA?

You know, water only needs a little crack to get through. I once had a leaking cylinder head. so I know what I'm talking about.

In my car, I mean. Not my own body.

Plus, IIRC, it's sandy down there. I've seen it on telly.

[xiphias]

It does go all the way through. WHen you piss in the sink it sinks through the earth and it comes out in Australia. The water in the North Sea is the result of Aussies drinking too much beer.

[StevieBee]

havoc said:

(due to gravity acting downwards not sideways)

So, how does gravity work then?

[Bigel]

Rod Rammage said:

Bigel said:

Because some rocks don't absorb water?

Well, that's true, but look here - try pouring water on a rock.

It just runs off.

So the water trickles down into the earth, meets a rock, then trickles AROUND IT.



Some fecking funny business going on, if you ask me.

And what we live on isn't just one big rock?

[Rod Rammage]

StevieBee said:

havoc said:

(due to gravity acting downwards not sideways)

So, how does gravity work then?

Magnets.

It's got to be magnets.

[Shaolin]

The umpa lumpas pump it all back again via springs, geysers and garden ponds, especially those that have garden gnomes who manage the water balance of the planet.