The Amazon rainforest is a massive and incredible place, covering 40% of South America. It is home to nearly 400 billion trees and produces about one-fifth of the oxygen we breathe. The Amazon River basin, which feeds the rainforest, carries a huge amount of water—one-fifth of all the river water on Earth—into the Atlantic Ocean every day. This water is so heavy that it even changes the gravitational pull over South America! But did you know there’s an even bigger river that’s invisible and flows in the sky?
When you look at the Amazon basin on Google Earth, it looks clear, but from space, it’s often hidden by clouds. This is because the trees release a lot of water vapor into the air. During photosynthesis, trees lose water through tiny openings in their leaves. This process pulls water from the roots to the tops of trees, which can be as tall as 60 meters. A single large tree in the Amazon can release about 1,000 liters of water into the air each day. Altogether, the trees in the Amazon release around 20 billion tons of water daily, which is enough to fill 8 million Olympic swimming pools! To boil this much water, you’d need the energy from over 30,000 hydroelectric power plants like China’s Three Gorges Dam. Amazingly, trees do this using just the power of the sun.
This process forms a “river in the sky” above the Amazon, which carries more water than the Amazon River itself. The rain from this sky river is crucial for the rainforest’s survival. But making rain isn’t just about having water vapor. Even in the driest places, air contains lots of water molecules. However, these molecules need something to stick to in order to form droplets. Tiny particles like dust, salt, pollen, or chemicals act as seeds for raindrops. These seeds help water molecules gather into droplets, which form clouds. When the droplets get big enough, they fall as rain.
Rainfall varies around the world because different places have different types and amounts of rain seeds. In the Amazon, 95% of these seeds come from the trees and plants. Besides water vapor, Amazon trees release chemicals that attract more water molecules, essentially creating their own rain. The air over the Amazon is some of the cleanest on Earth, with only 300 particles per cubic centimeter. In other places, pollution increases the number of particles, which can change how rain falls.
Interestingly, when trees need more rain, they release more rain-attracting chemicals, helping to form more clouds and rain. As the water from the trees turns into clouds, it lowers the air pressure nearby, creating winds that move this sky river from the Atlantic Ocean to the Andes Mountains. Without the Amazon’s trees and this rain system, many areas could turn into deserts.
We often learn that rain falls on land, flows to the ocean, evaporates, and falls again, but we don’t always hear about how important the Amazon rainforest is in this cycle. Trees all over the world act like pumps, sending a lot of water into the atmosphere. The Amazon rainforest is not only called the “lungs of the planet” because it produces oxygen, but it also acts like a heart, keeping life and weather systems going around the globe. Stay curious and keep exploring!
Using materials like clay, cardboard, and paint, create a 3D model of the Amazon rainforest. Include features like trees, rivers, and clouds. Explain how the “river in the sky” works and its importance to the ecosystem. Share your model with the class and discuss the role of trees in the water cycle.
Conduct an experiment to demonstrate how water vapor forms clouds. Use a jar, hot water, ice, and a plate to create a mini water cycle. Observe how condensation forms and discuss how this relates to the Amazon’s “river in the sky.” Record your observations and present them to the class.
Use Google Earth to explore the Amazon River basin. Identify key features such as the Amazon River, surrounding forests, and the Andes Mountains. Create a presentation highlighting how these features contribute to the rainforest’s ecosystem and the global water cycle.
Participate in a role-playing game where you act as a tree in the Amazon rainforest. Make decisions on when to release water vapor and rain-attracting chemicals based on changing weather conditions. Discuss how your actions impact the rainforest and the global climate.
Research the impact of deforestation on the Amazon’s water cycle. Form teams and debate the importance of preserving the rainforest. Discuss potential solutions to protect this vital ecosystem and present your arguments to the class.
The Amazon rainforest covers 40% of South America, contains nearly 400 billion trees, and produces one-fifth of our planet’s oxygen. The river basin feeding the Amazon carries one-fifth of Earth’s river water into the Atlantic Ocean every day. This water adds enough mass to the continent that it distorts the gravitational field over South America. However, the river at the center of this is not the biggest river on Earth; there’s one that’s even bigger, but it’s invisible and exists in the atmosphere.
Hello, everyone! You can get a clear view of the Amazon basin on Google Earth, but you’d almost never get a clear view if you were actually in space. Compared to other parts of Earth, it’s often obscured by clouds, thanks to the vast number of trees releasing water vapor into the sky. During photosynthesis, plants lose a significant amount of water through pores on their leaves. This process pulls water from the roots to the tops of trees, which can be up to 60 meters high. A large tree in the Amazon can release about 1,000 liters of water into the atmosphere each day. Altogether, trees in the Amazon basin release around 20 billion tons of water, or 20 trillion liters, each day—enough to fill 8 million Olympic swimming pools. To put that into perspective, boiling that amount of water would require the energy from more than 30,000 hydroelectric power plants, like China’s Three Gorges Dam, the largest in the world. But trees accomplish this using the power of the sun.
This process creates a “river in the sky” above the Amazon, stretching from the ocean to the Andes, which moves even more water than the Amazon River itself. The rain produced by this sky river is essential for the existence of the world’s largest rainforest. However, it takes more than just water vapor to create rain. Even in the driest places on Earth, a cubic meter of air contains an immense number of water molecules. But water cannot form droplets on its own; it needs something to cling to. At the heart of every raindrop is a tiny impurity, such as dust, salt, pollen, or chemicals. These impurities serve as seeds for raindrops, allowing water molecules to gather and grow into droplets. Trillions of these droplets make up every cloud, and when they become large enough, they fall as rain.
The distribution of rain varies across the globe because not every place has the same type or number of rain seeds in the sky. In the Amazon, 95% of the rain seeds are produced by the trees and plants that inhabit the area. Along with water vapor, trees in the Amazon release chemicals that attract more water molecules, effectively creating their own rain. The air over the Amazon is among the cleanest on Earth, with only 300 particles per cubic centimeter. In contrast, pollution has increased the number of particles in the air elsewhere, which can affect rainfall patterns.
Interestingly, when trees need rain, they adjust the amount of rain-attracting chemicals they release, which helps to seed more clouds and rain. As the water released by the trees condenses into clouds, it lowers nearby air pressure, creating winds that drive this river in the sky from the Atlantic to the Andes. Without the Amazon’s trees and this continent-wide rain cloud system, many regions would likely become deserts.
In summary, while we often learn that rain falls on land, makes its way to the ocean, evaporates, and then falls again, we rarely hear about the vital role of the Amazon rainforest in this cycle. Trees around the world act as crucial pumps, responsible for a significant portion of the water that reaches the atmosphere over continents. The Amazon rainforest is often referred to as the “lungs of the planet,” but it also functions as a vital heart, sustaining life and weather systems across the globe. Stay curious!
Amazon – The Amazon is a large tropical rainforest located in South America, known for its vast biodiversity and role in regulating the Earth’s climate. – The Amazon is often called the “lungs of the Earth” because it produces a significant amount of the world’s oxygen.
Rainforest – A rainforest is a dense, tropical forest with high annual rainfall, home to a wide variety of plant and animal species. – The rainforest is crucial for maintaining global biodiversity and climate stability.
Trees – Trees are large plants with a trunk, branches, and leaves, playing a vital role in producing oxygen and providing habitats for many species. – Trees in the rainforest absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen, helping to clean the air.
Water – Water is a vital resource for all living organisms, essential for survival and various ecological processes. – The abundant water in the rainforest supports a diverse range of plant and animal life.
Vapor – Vapor is the gaseous form of water, often found in the atmosphere as a result of evaporation. – Water vapor from the rainforest contributes to cloud formation and local weather patterns.
Rainfall – Rainfall is the amount of rain that falls in a specific area over a period of time, crucial for sustaining ecosystems. – The heavy rainfall in the rainforest supports its lush vegetation and diverse wildlife.
Clouds – Clouds are collections of tiny water droplets or ice crystals in the atmosphere, playing a key role in weather and climate. – Clouds formed from rainforest evaporation can travel and bring rain to other regions.
Chemicals – Chemicals are substances with distinct molecular compositions, found naturally or produced by human activity, affecting ecosystems in various ways. – Some chemicals released by plants in the rainforest can help protect them from pests.
Oxygen – Oxygen is a colorless, odorless gas essential for the respiration of most living organisms and produced by plants during photosynthesis. – The rainforest produces a large amount of the Earth’s oxygen, supporting life globally.
Ecosystem – An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with each other and their physical environment. – The rainforest ecosystem is incredibly complex, with countless species relying on each other for survival.
