Earth's Water Cycle Redefined - How Water Links Us With the Universe

Our water cycle was defined over 400 years ago asfrom passing comets.
a "closed system" - with the water we find on EarthAs Earth's atmosphere gains water from space, it
today being the same water recycled for billions ofalso loses water into space. According to research
years. This definition of our hydrologic cycle has beenpublished by Professor George Lenz, of Sweet Briar
taught in schools for hundreds of years.College, "We can estimate the rate at which water is
However, based on new research - we may redefinebeing lost [to outer space] today by estimating the
our water cycle as being an "open system" thatrate at which water molecules in our upper
connects Earth's water with the water of our Earth'satmosphere are dissociated into their constituent
molten core as well as with our surrounding universe.hydrogen and oxygen. The hydrogen is light enough
The Oceanic Cyclethat it easily moves off into outer space. The net
Recently, Dr. Robert Ballard, of the Institute foreffect of hydrogen loss decreases the amount of
Exploration, has conducted research to betterwater vapor in the atmosphere. We have estimated
understand how oceanic water circulates. His researchthat approximately 5 x 10(11) grams are lost this way
informs us that water in our oceans circulates in aeach year."
fashion somewhat similar to that of our continentalRedefining Our Hydrologic Cycle
plates. When continental plates collide, one plate willThe old "closed cycle" definition of Earth's hydrologic
slide beneath the other. This forces one plate tocycle was expressed somewhat as follows:
increase its elevation while the other is forced down"Water continuously evaporates as water vapor
toward the center of Earth's molten core. Eventually,from earth's ocean and other sources into our
new land will emerge through molten vents beneathatmosphere; this water vapor cools and then falls as
our ocean or on land.atmospheric moisture back into our Earth's surface
In similar fashion, a portion of our oceanic water iswaters and land; rain that falls onto land may be
constantly forced by pressure and pulled by gravitystored for a time in terrestrial life, wetlands, and
toward the center of Earth's core. Eventually, thisunderground aquifers."
water emerges as superheated steam throughWhen we combine Dr. Robert Ballard's oceanic water
oceanic vents or vents on land. According to Dr.cycle with Earth's biosphere's atmospheric cycle and
Ballard, all the water in our Earth's ocean is recycled inthe loss of atmospheric water into outer space - we
this fashion every 6 to 8 million years, and that thishave a basis for redefining Earth's hydrologic cycle.
process is instrumental in the ongoing support of life.In view of synthesizing this new information, we may
The Cosmic Cycleredefine our Earth's hydrologic cycle as being an
Clumps of ice formed by interstellar water have been"open cycle" that interacts with the universe. With
documented as entering Earth's atmosphere. Thisgreater accuracy we may now venture to redefine
phenomenon was noted by Dr. Louis A. Frank in theEarth's hydrologic cycle as:
1970s. However, Frank's theory relative to the size"Earth's hydrologic cycle is composed of three
and quantity of meteors depositing water into Earth's'interactive' water cycles - the cycle of our Earth's
atmosphere has since been revised. This revisedsurface water with its molten core, the cycle of our
theory reflects that a small quantity of cosmic waterEarth's surface and atmospheric water with our sun,
is finding its way into Earth's atmosphere fromand the cycle of our Earth's atmospheric water with
meteors, meteorites, and the from water vaporthe water of our universe.