Hi TMAX . Well, having worked in and around Vancouver BC many times, and also having
Spent weeks in the Amazon Basin, I will say that both are very wet, rainy parts of the planet.
I'd rather live in Vancouver 20 times over , rather than in Manaus or Santerem, all day long.
However, there is a huge difference in the amount of rainwater in the Amazonian drainage, the
Annual Rainfall, not just the discharge of the river (although they are obviously directly connected).
The Amazon : It Discharges an average of 209,000 cubic meters per SECOND (7,381,000 Cu Ft/sec ), which is greater than the next SEVEN Rivers combined.That is the off season number. In the rainy season, 300,000 cubic meters PER SECOND, is the norm.
The Amazon accounts for one fifth of the world's total river flow.The amazon pushes a plume of fresh water into the Ocean....how large ? Well, about 250 miles deep and 100
Miles wide, overpowering the ocean, and essentially creating a fresh water lake , which is imposed on the Atlantic Ocean, no small beans. Fresh water has been recorded by ships in the area, far offshore, well outside the sight of land. Serious plumbing . We flew over the mouth in a plane ( Twin Otter ? Probably), and the plume, which was discolored, went east beyond our line of sight. We were probably
At 3000 Ft., but that is a guess. It was in 1991.
So, the condos in Vancouver leak when it rains, but in Manaus, they might float.Santarem
Was a bit dryer, when I was there, but either place will firmly put the RAIN in Rain Forest.
However, I think the heaviest rain I ever experienced was in American Samoa, up on the hill
Above Pago Pago ('Pango', in the local vernacular ). It literally came down in 'sheets'. I had heard that term, but had written it off as hyperbole....but then I saw it...it came down in fluid masses...walls of water. Never seen it before or since. It didn't last long, 20 minutes maybe, but it was something.Not drops...sheets of water, as if you
Had a cookie sheet of water and rolled it , dumping the whole deal.
Also, in Vancouver, you can duck into Temaki Sushi during a downpour. Take a cab home.
(Off topic thread specialist...)