From Ukraine to Gaza
If rain were to permanently stop falling from Earth's skies, the consequences would be dire.
Shocking worldwide droughts will ensue. Rivers will dry up and crops will fail. But that's only the beginning.
Shortly thereafter, livestock and some species of wildlife will begin to perish as a result of thirst and starvation.
Prolonged lack of precipitation will disrupt the circulation of fresh water—one of the most vital global processes necessary for life.
Plants, many of which serve as a food source for animals and humans, will be the among the first victims of a world without water.
Temperatures will increase dramatically, and the composition of the atmosphere will change.
Freshwater sources will further be impacted with the melting of the icecaps and glaciers, in which 68% of the freshwater on Earth is found. Ground water, which makes up 30%, will evaporate.
In desperation, humans will begin to dilute and desalinate the world's oceans. But this will only serve as a temporary measure against impending catastrophe.
Meanwhile, marine life will begin to dwindle. Once vibrant corals will bleach and die.
With no rainfall, more plant life will die—in huge numbers. Such an onslaught will imperil the entire food chain.
After just a year without rain, much of the Earth will be experiencing desert conditions.
As the Earth's crust hardens and cracks, a phenomenon called meteorological drought will take place. This is the cumulative effect over time of deficient precipitation and water supply.
As meteorological drought persists, aridity will define much of the planet's topography. The consequences for the environment, agriculture, the economy, health, and society will be devastating.
Famine will sweep across the globe, initiating in regions already beset by hunger before advancing into the industrialized Western world.
The search for fresh water will intensify. Mass migration will ensue, resulting in a large number of internally displaced persons and refugees.
By now the world will be experiencing hydrological drought, the decline in precipitation that impacts groundwater recharge, streamflow, soil moisture, and levels in reservoirs and lakes.
Damage to habitats will be fatal, affecting wildlife in the terrestrial and aquatic ecoregions.
Intense aridity will whip up mighty dust storms, terrifying in their ferocity. The process of global desertification and erosion will begin.
Unchecked wildfires stoked by intolerable heat and fanned by relentless winds will destroy the world's rainforests, already bereft of life-giving precipitation.
What little surface water is left will likely be contaminated by dead animals and human detritus.
A desperate situation will turn even worse as social unrest, conflicts, and wars over natural resources, including water and food, intensify and socioeconomic drought takes hold.
Food rationing will be enforced across developed nations. In some cases, discontinuation of food sales will be necessary. The price of both food and water will go through the roof.
Water companies will have to start rationing supply, and the installation of compulsory water meters will be necessary.
The onset of drought stress compounded by lack of rainfall will kill off all remaining plant life on a massive scale globally.
Without plants to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen, the air that we breathe will soon be depleted.
Rising carbon dioxide levels coupled with increased temperatures will make oxygen levels in the air plummet. The Earth will start to die.
Energy costs will spiral. Power produced by hydroelectricity will be especially impacted as reservoirs run dry.
Humanity will eventually be consumed by a global health crisis. Lack of rainfall and toxic air pollution will exacerbate respiratory diseases, and lead to the increase of vector-borne diseases and infections transmitted by water and food. The incidence of ultraviolet radiation at the surface of the Earth will promote the rates of skin diseases, including cancer and ophthalmological lesions.
Carbon dioxide currently makes up just 0.04% of Earth's atmosphere, but with no plants to remove it, this deadly greenhouse gas will start to build up to dangerous levels.
Meanwhile with no rainwater to top them up, oceans, seas, and lakes will continue to evaporate. Eventually every body of water on Earth will be hypersaline and nearly all regular sea creatures would likely have died off.
Without abundant and consistent rainfall, most of life on Earth will be extinguished, including us. In fact, our once vibrant and colorful world will be barely recognizable and will effectively be an alien planet, rather like Mars.
Sources: (NASA) (National Geographic) (American Meteorological Society) (Vedantu)
See also: Mesmerizing photos of Mars
Rainfall is essential for life across Earth's landscapes. It's the main source of fresh water for plants and animals, and us. According to Earth Science, the average amount of precipitation falling on the Earth per year is approximately 39 inches (100 cm). Much of that is rainfall as opposed to sleet or snow. And what would happen to our planet if it was suddenly deprived of rain? How would we cope? Could we survive?
Click through and absorb these worrying consequences of a world without rainfall.
What would happen if it never rained again?
How long would we survive without rainfall?
LIFESTYLE Environment
Rainfall is essential for life across Earth's landscapes. It's the main source of fresh water for plants and animals, and us. According to Earth Science, the average amount of precipitation falling on the Earth per year is approximately 39 inches (100 cm). Much of that is rainfall as opposed to sleet or snow. And what would happen to our planet if it was suddenly deprived of rain? How would we cope? Could we survive?
Click through and absorb these worrying consequences of a world without rainfall.