# Global Warming – What about Global Wetting?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-what-about-global-wetting/254339>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [July 9, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-what-about-global-wetting/254339 "2004-07-09T19:45:56Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![jebert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ec9cab/32.png) [@jebert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jebert)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-what-about-global-wetting/254339/1 "2004-07-09T19:45:56Z")

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I’m assuming we measure global temperature by averaging readings from a network of thermometers positioned around the earth, even across the oceans and ice caps.

Is anyone trying to measure global rainfall – the total amount of precipitation over earth in a year? I would imagine this would take a similar network of rain and snow gauges, but that that would present a lot more practical difficulties than thermometers.

In any case, is this being attempted, and if so, what are the results? Is the earth getting more, less, or the same total precipitation now than before?

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-what-about-global-wetting/254339/2 "2004-07-09T20:28:36Z")

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Precipitation will always be the same, over the entire globe - what goes up must come down, otherwise there’d be perpetual cloud cover. What is important is _where_ the rain falls. And yes, there’s major studies into this, particuarly into how a changing global climate will affect monsoon patterns (upon which millions - billions - of people depend for survival).

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**Author:** ![Shrinking\_Violet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df705f/32.png) [@Shrinking\_Violet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shrinking_Violet)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-what-about-global-wetting/254339/3 "2004-07-09T22:40:14Z")

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> [@GorillaMan](#):
>
> Precipitation will always be the same, over the entire globe.

Are you sure, Griller? Surely if the Earth as a whole warms up, this would lead to greater evaporation and therefore _more_ precipitation?

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**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\
**Post date:** [July 9, 2004, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/global-warming-what-about-global-wetting/254339/4 "2004-07-09T22:57:01Z")

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> [@Shrinking Violet](#):
>
> Are you sure, Griller? Surely if the Earth as a whole warms up, this would lead to greater evaporation and therefore _more_ precipitation?

'Spose so, yes, didn’t think that one through fully :smack:

In any case, my point that the _location_ of precipitation is the most important thing still stands 🙂