If you think this hypothesis is nonsensical, you are mistaken. Because continuous rain for a year on Earth actually occurred over 200 million years ago. This was the Carnian Pluvial event, a significant event that altered global climate and biological turnover during the Carnian period.
The Earth Experienced Continuous Rain for Over 1 Million Years
The Carnian Pluvial event, also known as the Carnian Pluvial phase, occurred over a span of several million years (approximately 234-232 million years ago), between the Julian and Tuvalian time frames of the Carnian stage.
Earth experienced continuous rain for 1-2 million years. (Image: Baidu)
The hypothesis about this event originated from forensic geologist Alastair Ruffell of Queen’s University Belfast, UK, after he studied rocks near his childhood home and discovered oddities. Specifically, the Triassic sediments in this region are predominantly reddish-orange, indicating that the area transformed into a waterlogged swamp after experiencing a drought. It is unclear why a place that once had a dry climate suddenly became humid and maintained this state for over a million years.
This change piqued Alastair Ruffell’s curiosity when he first found these rocks in 1980. However, due to his busy schedule, he temporarily set aside his quest for answers. It wasn’t until 1987 that Alastair Ruffell coincidentally met paleontologist Michael Simms. They suggested that the extinction event in the late Triassic and the mysterious wet period were interconnected.
They termed this phase the Carnian Pluvial event. During this phase, global humidity significantly increased, disrupting the dry climate of the late Triassic. This humidity was linked to a sudden increase in rainfall during this period.
The real “culprit” behind these events was volcanic eruptions during the Triassic. These eruptions released vast amounts of carbon dioxide over an extended period. After the volcanic activity, the Earth became excessively humid, causing clouds to be pushed from the sea deep inland. It truly began to rain across the globe.
From the sediment layers found, forensic geologists discovered the Carnian Pluvial event. (Image: Baidu)
Three decades later, many scientists confirmed that not only in England but also in various parts of the world, simultaneous rainfall occurred during the Carnian phase. The remarkable aspect of this period is that the Earth entered a phase of prolonged rain lasting 1 to 2 million years following millions of years of drought. Almost anywhere geologists found rocks displaying such signs, they determined that prolonged rainfall occurred during the Carnian Pluvial event.
Notably, after the Carnian Pluvial event, the Earth returned to dryness and experienced significant evolutionary changes. This marked the emergence of rare reptiles known as early dinosaurs. This event also paved the way for the spectacular evolution of dinosaurs in later periods.
This event also marks the emergence of early dinosaurs. (Image: Baidu)
Besides dinosaurs, the Carnian Pluvial event also brought about significant changes to corals and marine organisms. From this point onward, corals began to form reefs, and marine life evolved to be “modern,” resembling species alive today. Some scientists even suggest that this period may mark the emergence of the first mammals on Earth.
In May 2017, scientists held the first conference on the Carnian Pluvial event at the German Institute for Advanced Studies. Since then, many researchers have delved deeper into the Carnian Pluvial event.
What Would Happen if It Rained Continuously for a Year?
Based on insights from the Carnian Pluvial event, scientists conducted an experiment simulating continuous rain for a year to understand what would happen if Earth experienced a similar phenomenon again. The results of the experiment were categorized into the following phases:
- Weeks 1 to 3: When rain falls continuously for several days across all corners of the planet, flooding will occur, submerging low-lying areas. The longer the rain continues, the larger the flooded area will become. Plants will be unable to photosynthesize, and humans and animals will have to move to higher ground to survive.
If it rained continuously for a year, the Earth would fall into a state of flooding, with many land areas disappearing. (Image: Baidu)
- One Month: After a month of continuous rain, many power stations would be damaged, and communication systems would be destroyed, necessitating a shutdown of the power grid to ensure safety.
- Two Months: Many coastal cities around the world would be submerged.
- Five Months: Crops would die, and many animal species would face danger due to habitat loss caused by disrupted food chains.
- Six Months: The land area on Earth would decrease by one-third, leading to floods, tsunamis, and earthquakes occurring in succession. Humanity might fall into disputes over the remaining high and safe lands.
- Eight Months: The land area would continue to diminish, and many coastal nations would begin to disappear.
Human life would be disrupted, and lives would be at risk. (Image: Baidu)
- Ten Months: Food reserves would be depleted, and humanity would have to scramble for sustenance.
- Eleven Months: Harmful viruses and bacteria would proliferate through the corpses of animals and organisms, leading to a decline in the human population.
- One Year: Half of the Earth’s land area would be submerged, and human life would be in a critical state.
The results of this research were published in the journal Science Advances in September 2020.
