Show RAINFALL VARIES FROM ZERO TO INCHES ANNUALLY geologically the earth may be sob divided into three spheres the outer ageous ase ous atmosphere the watery by Irn dro sphere and the rigid and rocky water Is present in arming darlng amounts everywhere in the lower ower portion of 0 the atmosphere and nearly everywhere in the outer crust of t the the earths atmosphere constitutes slightly less than a millionth part ot of the earths whole mass but the rain which falls from the atmosphere every century weighs seven times as much as the air itself three fourths of this rain falls back into the ocean kven even so go the work of the atmosphere mo sphere amounts to pouring all the tha water ot of the oceans oer the land once in years nearly three fourths of nt this rainfall again vapor izes what remains hows flows back to tile the sea in rivers in polar regions the snowfall represents from 8 to 15 inches of water whereas on certain southern slopes of the himalayas the rainfall may be as much as inches a ye year ar in dry regions such as the vast desert areas of north africa central asia australia and along the coast of 0 peru ieru only a few inches of 0 water la Is precipitated annually among the canary islands surrounded by water are localities that have very little rainfall for periods ns as ion long as three years in duration the average rainfall for the united states varies from 70 inches tor for the tha gulf coast and northwest pacific coast region to 15 inches over oner the gre great 1 t plains and less than 10 inches in nevada arizona and southeastern california dr G A thiel university of minnesota |