Gigantic California Redwood trees are able to raise water to the height of a 30 story building, but how?
Redwood trees, which grow in California, are some of the tallest trees in the world. Their height soars to 110 meters. The age of some trees reaches 2,000 to 3,000 years! It’s hard to explain the indelible impression a walk through a forest of these trees leaves on you. The truth of Creation is seen here unmistakably. The cells of the trees are organized in such a way to tie together the roots, trunk, bark, branches, and leaves. The tree resembles a gigantic factory, performing extremely hard chemical processes in impeccable order.
What is most interesting is that this enormous tree grows from a small seed that weighs only 58 grams. Just think, all the information on the development and organization of these giants is held in the DNA of a tiny, round seed. The seedling follows all the instructions that are in the seed, and develops into this gigantic structure, incomparable in looks or size. Amazing, don’t you think!
A great example is the sequoia tree by the name “General Sherman”. It is 83.8 meters high and 7.7 meters in diameter. The age of this tree totals 2,500 years. This tree is believed to be the biggest living organism on Earth. Its weight with the root system is 25,000 tons. The volume of this tree is 17,000 cubic meters which is 10 times bigger than the volume of the blue whale.
The Bible tells us: “Behold, God exalteth by His power: who teacheth like Him? Who hath enjoined Him His way? or who can say, Thou has wrought iniquity? Remember that Thou magnify His work, which men behold. Every man may see it; man may behold it afar off.” Job 36:22–25. Indeed, all people can see His work.
Through its leaves the sequoia tree releases 6,000 liters of water each day; therefore, it constantly raises the water from the roots to the branches, overcoming the force of gravity. How is it able to do it without having any mechanical pumps? These 100 meters is really an impressive height, comparable to two 14 story buildings. As it turns out, inside the sequoia trunk is a special system of narrow, interconnected vessels, called xylem.
This complex inner tissue of the tree serves to transport water from the roots to the stems and leaves, reaching all parts of the plants. It is also used to replace water lost during transpiration and photosynthesis.
The Tree Maintains Water Pressure throughout Its Life
Think of how a strong wind bends the tree and its branches. But because the conductive tube is made up of millions of small segments joined together, the flow of water is constant. One solid tube would not be able to accomplish such a task. Since water usually does not flow up, how does a tree manage to pump it to such a great height? The roots “pull” the water up, and capillary action (the ability of water to rise slightly along the walls of the tube) adds pressure. However, this force lifts the water in a sequoia only 2–3 meters.
The underlying upward force is evaporation and attraction between water molecules. The positively and negatively charged particles of a molecule adhere to each other with great force, which, according to experimental measurements, is 25–30 atmospheres (1 atmosphere is equal to normal atmospheric pressure at sea level).
This is enough to push a submarine from the time of World War II, sailing at the depth of 350 meters under water. Sequoias easily maintain a pressure of 14 atmospheres at the top of the water column. Water, evaporating from the leaves, gives rise to the force of absorption. The water molecule evaporates from the sheet and, thanks to the force of molecular attraction, pulls other molecules around it. This creates a slight absorption in the water column and draws water from the neighboring leaf cells. These molecules, in turn, attract the surrounding molecules. The chain of motion continues to the ground itself and moves water from the roots to the top of the tree, just as a pump lifts water from a column to the surface.
We understand that the tree itself could not come up with such a complex system, having learned to use water, physics, and the energy of the sun so wisely. We give all glory to God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Giant trees testify to the historical accuracy of the book of Genesis, which reveals to us their true origin: “And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. And the earth brought forth grass, and the herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.” Genesis 1:11–12.
Dmitriy Kurovskiy