X-Message-Number: 11027
Date: Mon, 04 Jan 1999 10:25:47 -0800
From: Olaf Henny <>
Subject: The Last Time It Rained In Egypt...?

In Cryonet # 11021 George Smith wrote:
>I have gone to this site and as of 14 August 1998, Graham Hancock's
statement indicates that the 
>"originators of the 'water weathering'" STILL see the Sphinx as many
thousands of years older 
>than the Egyptologists claim due to water weathering as defined by the
geologists who have 
>examined the evidence.  This was the most recent statement or news on that
issue which I was 
>able to find there.  Where exactly did you find information to the contrary?
>
>Here is what I understand to be true:
>
>The body of the Sphinx was carved out of the limestone bedrock.  
>
>That "body" clearly shows rain-induced water-weathering.
>
>The last time it rained in Egypt was 12,500 years ago.

Where did that come from?  When I was in Egypt I was told, that "it rains
in Cairo *only* on 7 days/year".  Since the fellow who told me this was
trying to tell me how *little* it rained, it is unlikely, that he
understated the number of days.

So assuming the figure is correct, that makes it 6000 years 42000 days
"with rain" or the equivalent of 115 consecutive years of "days with rain".
 Even soggy climates have only half that.

Now add to that, the high probability, that short showers are followed by
arid breezes You will have rapid heat loss accompanied by equally rapid
differential contraction of a thin surface layer of the rock followed by
equally swift reversal, when the sun hits the rock's surface again, and you
will have considerable weather damage over 6000 years.

I have just looked up a chart on climate in Cairo
(http://www.openworld.co.uk/cityguides/cairo/cairow.html), which indicates,
that the rainfall takes place December through March with an average
rainfall of what appears to be 8 to 10 mm each month.  From that I must
conclude two things:

-  That it rains on more days than 7 each year
-  That the temperature differential on each occasion is somewhat
less, than it would be in summer

Best,
Olaf

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