08-27-2008, 02:46 AM
Rain on the island comes from two sources--offshore maritime air, and from the island itself, from freshwater evaporation of moisture already on the island. Most of the rain that makes the Kona side, it seems to me, to be of the later sort. Evaporation rainfall is heavily influenced by vegetation. That much is obvious to a child. Roads dry out first and fast, and the water runs off them into the sea. Forests stay cool and wet in all but the most extreme circumstances.
If you ask "do tree grows where the rain falls" or "does the rain fall where there are trees"--if you don't realize both propositions are necessary to understanding the system, you miss the central tenet of modern climate science.
There will be people who argue both ways for sure. My main point in bringing up the post is as Mark observes--the reality here may be pointless, as the perception of an effect is as important as the evidence.
If you ask "do tree grows where the rain falls" or "does the rain fall where there are trees"--if you don't realize both propositions are necessary to understanding the system, you miss the central tenet of modern climate science.
There will be people who argue both ways for sure. My main point in bringing up the post is as Mark observes--the reality here may be pointless, as the perception of an effect is as important as the evidence.