In addition to the normal rain of water, there are other types and in some parts of the world there are curious rains, such as the rains of fish, frogs or spiders. Another of these rains, which are considered very strange but real phenomena, are the red rains and the rains of blood.
Are you curious? Then keep reading because in this Green Ecologist article we will see more about the red rain and the rain of blood, what are they and why do they happen.
What is red rain and why does it happen?
Red rain is a falling rain tinged with scarlet red color. Cases of colored rain since 1896. One of the most famous cases of red rain has occurred in the year 2001 in Kerala city, South India, when this rain fell for two months. Scientists at one of the nearby universities were immediately interested in the phenomenon, which at first seemed like a case of contamination. Thus, several samples were collected and when observing them under the microscope, they saw that it had neither sand nor dust, but red cells similar to some microbes, but without traces of DNA.
From then on, the theory was developed that these cells could be extraterrestrial and, although at first there was skepticism, it was accepted for publication in a scientific journal in 2006, and not only that, but they believe that these cells are are reproducing. It was commented that there was the possibility that a comet had disintegrated in the outer atmosphere and contaminated the clouds when they floated over the Earth.
However, after these speculations, other researchers showed that the case was due to the spores of a green algae or free or symbiotic life with lichens. This alga belongs to the genus of cyanotic green algae Trentepohlia and its spores they look like red particles in the rain.
The red rain phenomenon It also occurred in a town in Zamora during 2014. After taking some samples, it was concluded that they belonged to alga H. pluvialis, a unicellular freshwater green algae, but which under stress conditions is capable of producing the pigment astaxanthin, which gives it a reddish color. After confirming the presence of this alga, it was determined that the rainfall and winds of those dates came from the Atlantic. This finding was important, because in those days this alga was not found in nearby lakes or swamps, but its existence in North America was known, so its origin could be due to these North Atlantic winds.
What is the rain of blood and why does it happen?
The calls blood showers they were known as early as the Middle Ages, when they were seen as harbingers of impending human suffering. They were also mentioned in Homer's Iliad, in the texts of Cicero and other writers and in the Renaissance they attributed them to divine power, but the truth is that, with current scientific knowledge, it is already known that these rains occur in Europe and they are related to the desert areas of the African continent.
At Sahara desert sand storms are common and up to 70% of the dust generated travels through the Atlantic Ocean towards parts of South America and the European continent. Then, the dust masses are displaced by the wind currents of the lower and middle layers of the troposphere, affecting the eastern Mediterranean from spring, usually towards the end of summer a low pressure system appears in the Balearic Islands and it displaces this mass of dust to the west of the basin. Thus, countries such as Greece, Albania, Montenegro, Serbia, Bosnia, Turkey, France, the United Kingdom or Spain are affected by this dust from the Sahara. In these rains the sky becomes opaque and the quality of the air decreases. Once these rains mix with water droplets that contain enough iron oxide they turn reddish or orange in color. Researchers from the University of Arizona (United States) have reported more than 500 cases that have taken place since 1900.
In Spain, people often speak of mud rains. The State Meteorological Agency has already said that these precipitations are not polluting, are alkaline in nature and represent a benefit for vegetation and soils.
Summary of the differences between red rain and blood rain
Even if the red rains and the rains of blood have in common the coloration of the rainfall at the time of falling, the truth is that it is not the same phenomenon.
Rains of blood is a phenomenon that has been occurring for years in several European countries, among which is Spain, and is due to dust that is blown by the wind from the desert areas of Africa and mixes with drops of water. While red rains occur in Asian countries, such as India or Russia, and are due to red spore particles of algae mixed with raindrops.
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